US2353632A - Cartridge link manufacture - Google Patents

Description

July 18, 1944. A. E. BoRToN CARTRIDGE LINK MANUFACTURE Filed Dec. 18, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1N: 'EA' TOR. Hilf/,'11 E'. B01 'N111 July 18, 1944. A. E. BORTON CARTRIDGE LINK MANUFACTURE Filed Deo. 18, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Rif 0 T l WM Illl V 0 U ,Eimim v0 Sm SQ .m M .wr Wu 2 A M uw w SS Y d STSN Patented July 18, 1944 Alwyn E. Boi-ton, South Orange, N. J., assignor to Associated Patentees, Inc., Ampere, N. J., a corporation ot New Jersey Application Decemberl, 1941, Serial No. 423,467

4 Claims.

The invention here disclosed relates to the manufacture of the links for connecting machine gun cartridges in belt formation and the present invention relates particularly to manufacture of the heavier form of links required for the 20 millimeter and other larger size cartridges.

Special objects of the invention are to accomplish rapid production of the heavier size cartridge links with the least possible waste of material and to accomplish these results with machines available at the present time and which may be readily altered in design to operate for such purposes.

Other desirable objects and the novel feature of invention through which all objects are attained, are set forth or will appear in the course of the following specification. Y The drawings accompanying and forming par of the specification illustrate certain preferred embodiments of the invention` Structure and operation however, may be modified and changed as regards such disclosure. all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig, l is a top plan or edge View of the pierced, trimmed and initially preformed strip stock.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, on enlarged scale, of the rst blank detached and partly formed as at the first or upper level of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a face view of the strip shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar, enlarged View of the blank cut from the end of the strip and having the cartridge encircling tongues of the same bentvto the proper curvature, as in Fig. 2. l

Figs. 5 and6 are face and edge Views respectively showing the link with the curved tongues folded back to the nal relation, as effected at the second or lower level of the machine.

Figs. 7 and 8 are broken horizontal cross-sectional views, on the rst and second levels, .as on substantially the planes of lines 1-1 and 8--8 of Fig. `9.

Fig. 9 is a broken view of mechanism at the nal forming station with parts appearing ,in section as on substantially the plane of line S-f-S, of Fig. 10.

Fig. 1Y0 is a partial plan view of those parts of the machine required to produce the results illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, that is, from the initial punching of the strip to the completed article. 2"'

Figs. 11 and 12 are opposed face views of the companion back and front die mechanisms shown in Fig. 10. 1

Fig. 13 is a broken detailof a modication.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate successive stages in the conversion of the strip material I5, to the finished link.

At the rst station, Fig. 3, one pair of punches i8, i6, partially outline the intermediate loop forming tongue portion Il, and edge flanges i8, of one link blank and a second pair of punches I9, I9, partially outline the end loop forming tongue portions 20, 20, of the next blank and a narrow intermediate tie 2l, connecting the two embryonic blanks.

When the strip is advanced to the second station, dies 22, 22', remove unnecessary material from the intermediate loop portion l1, of one blank, trimming away the sides and end of such portion at 23, 24, and the ends of the double loop portions 20, of the next blank at 25, 25, also the shoulders of the double loop portions of the blank in advance, at 26, 26.

At the third operating station. the narrow tie strip 2i, between adjoining blanks is severed at both ends by a punch 21, and immediately following such severance. preforming dies arch the intermediate portion of the single loop forming tongue Il, to the proper curvature for the loop at 28, and bend out the flanges i8, to the desired outwardly angled and longitudinally curved configuration.

At the nal station, Figs. 2 and 4, the single tongue Il, at one side of the link and the double tongues 20, 20 at the opposite side of the detached and partly preformed link are bent to their nal radius, connected by an intermediate narrow and relatively ilat bridge or body portion 29, this Work being performed by upper level preformlng tools.

The links, formed to the extent indicated in Figs. 2 and 4, and with the loop portions I1 and 20, 2l), curved to the proper radii, then drop to a second level, at the final station, where a forked tool coming from the back bends the bridge portion 29, from the flat to the substantially arched relation shown in Figs. 5 and 6, thus in effect hinging the two sets of curved, shell embracing loops into the viinal closely connected relation shown.

The operations described can all be performed substantially simultaneously, or as parts of a single cycle, on the multi-slide" machine of Borton Patent 1,883,513, October 18, 1932.

In my copending application Ser. No. 419,062, led November 14, 1941, more complete details of that machine as redesigned for operations of this type are disclosed and in the present illus- Vting punch 21, and flare preformer31, on th'e back slide 38, cooperate withcutoff die 3,9, ,1 1dv Similarly,v trimmingfpunches,".22,1-"onfthe Y second back" slide 34, coact with corresponding die members, 35, 35, on the second front block or anvil 36, at the second station and the cut` E the .bending and aring die 48onthefrontp1pgk "atthethird station e -V n the machine and the dies lat the front, may be mounted all ona single head block, in which event, the supports referredfto as 33, 36 and-4I, would be parts of one and the'same block struc- The stock is sage 42, in the front head or die supporting structure 33, 36, 4I, and as yieldinglyy held at the lower'edge, at the piercing and trimming stations by spring, pressed plungers ,43, 44, 45, Fig; 12 and pressed toward the flare preforming die 48, by spring plungers- 46, Fig. 10. f `The broken 'lines at the right hand end of Fig. 3, indicate the position of the two blanks vat the end of the strip prior to severance and at a time when the end'blank has reached a position in front 'of the stationary forming Ypost 41. cutoff punch 21 operates at a timewhen the end blank is held against the post by the sliding center piece 48, of thefront tool 49, which then is yieldingly projected toward the post by spring 50, Figs. '1, 9 and 10. 'I'he blankwhich then remains attached to the strip, at the third or preforming station, is thus freeto pull backtothe full line position under the foreshortening action of the bending dies without disturbing the `blank cut off and left at the forming post. e Y The'curving and double flaring or anging of the last attached blank at the preforming station, givesthe blank suicient shape to be readily held by the slide 48, set in and'forming part of the front tool, it being' shaped, as `indicated in Fig. '7, to enter between and i'lt the curved flares Aor flangesvll, I8, at theupper and lowerfedges -of the loop forming portion I1. f i- This preliminary bending and"l flaring of the blank also aids to locate it on the forming'xpost 41, the curved and anged part fitting the curvature of the rst forming portion I, of the 4post and thereby enabling'the blunt forward end152, of the central tool member 48, to carry the central portion of the blankinto the correspondingV recess 53, inthe post to formtheintrmediate flat bridge portion 29 ofthe link, In this action;

the curved side portions 54,55, respectively conflne' the preformed single tongues ofzthelinkto the rst portion 5 I, and bend the double tongues` 2.0; about the front of the second curved portion 56, of the post. The main side portionsy51f-'of the front tool, continuingl the action started lby the central part 48, carry vthe tongues- I1 and 20, 20, back around the sides of the formers 5I, 56, in time for those portions to be met byand curled around the'backs of the'formers bythe infolding benders 58, and`59,' 59. The first of these is a single benderfpivoted on the back slide 60, at 6I, inpositio'n to engage thesingle-loop shown as confined inra guide'pas#V The- . Willie@ Y intheopenrrelation and, as engagement is ef- The three slides described may be all timed and Voperated from cams on the backrcam shaftof ofthe-preformed 1ink;'

memberA I1, and the others Vare pivoted on the opposite side of the slide at 62, in position to engage Vthe double loopmembers 2li,V 20. These three benders maybe in the form of flat plates having leverage portions extended in interleaving rela-` tion toward the center of the slide and there providedwith rounded projections 63 and 64, 64, respectively,fonengagementwith a.L closing abutn'ient 65, on theback ofthe-post,4 j r j vvThe leverage extensions of the benders 58 and 59, are shown as engaged by spring plungers 66, and 61, to hold the same opened to the extent perc niittedby stationary abutment shoulders 68, when th esl ide isretracted. Thus the back slide 60, achthe post with these bending fingers fected'with the back of the forming post, will close` these ngersto curl the loop forming portions to proper curvature around the back of the forms'l, 56, on the post.

r To direct the link; preformedto the extent illustrated 1 in Figs; 2-"and4, that is, with-the cartridge: encircling tongues f I 1V and 26, 20; curved to the proper radii but-connected `bya practically natbridge in tool widely separatedlrelation, from the upper level Fig. 9, down'to thelower level, a stationary guide `69,- Figsf 8' and 9, is provided below-the back Ytool'havingfla cavity 10,'i'n-its front face Lfshaped. to slidingly receive 'the inwardly curved-endz'portionsof the link'tongues I1 and 20,20.`3Move1nentiof the flink Vfrom the upper to the lower level is'positively effected-by a down'- wardly acting stripper 1I, which operates when theifront and back slides are retracted fullyA clear In passing from the upper to the lower level, the intermediate bridge portion 29,4 .then in the Y substantially flat formation shown in'Fig. 2, slides down over Vthe face of a narrow stationary forming post 12 at the front, `Fig. 8, yrounded tofthe desired final curvature of.v the bridge portion 29, shown in-Fig. 6. A f 1 -1 Y A t this Vvlower leve1 position, the link, confined by guide 69, rests upon ajsupporting shelf 13, at the` .base of the guide cavity land 'while' so positi0ned,the back tool 14, advances Ythrough the opening 15, in the back of theV guide. This tool is forked to straddle, and to conform` to' the rounded face of the narrow post.. The projectingportions 16 and 11, at oppositefsides of the fork are positioned to engage the single loop l11, andi'thedouble loops 2D, 26,'vrespectively,to therebyjroll these forward to their fin-al'closelyspaced relation at the sidesof the post; while the cavity of the fork is rounding' thebridge 29, over the rounded and more 'or Vless bulbousnose portion ofthepost.,l 2 f a Y Inthis final forming operationtheloops are carried forward over the concave side portions 18, 19,'0f the post, in eectinteockingthe link over-the post. 'Y fTorelease thel link froml thispmomentarily interlocked engagement on the forminglfp'ost', Where; theangesglBrhave been carried ove'rthe upper and yloweredges ofthe part 83, 'one side'fof the post',' that'sis, the? part: designated',` 89, Fig,

is mounted on and carried by a lower pcrtio'nof the-front slide` 49;V said: part being, thin' enough lto enter between `th'eflanges-or' flares" I8,` IB, on the arm I1, and having a narrow concave-sided :exe

tension' 8|, which slides inY the cavity 62, inftheV tool is putting the arch in the bridge and it is retracted in advance of the down stroke of the stripper l so as to be clear of the flanges or flares E8, i8, on the link loop i?, when the link at the upper level comes down and forces the just completed link ofi the stationary portion of the post at the lower level. In the action of hinging the preformed loops back into their final, closer relation, the ends oi the loops are carried clear of the supporting step '13, Fig. 8.

The invention makes it possible to use the full width of the strip stock and while some scrap is unavoidable, the amount of such scrap may be further reduced by shortening the pitch, as indicated in Fig. 13, that is, by cutting the link blanks closer together, with the ilange portions l8r, I8, of one blank closely adjoining the ends of the loop portions Eil, 2) oi the next blank and the end portion of a single loop l1, of the rst blank taken out from between the loop portions 20, 26 of the next blank.

Certain advantages are attained in the present invention by flaring the blank in a preforming operation, instead of after forming up the loops or ring-like members. The combined bending and flaring effected at the preforming station, gives a desired stiffness to these finished portions of the blank and gives the tools a better hold on the blank at the iinal forming station.

In addition to saving material, the utilization of the full width of the strip gives the link the benefit of the more or less finished and rounded edges of the strip. While shown extending only slightly over the semi-circle in length, it will be appreciated that the loops may extend the full circle and actually form complete rings. Other changes are possible in the form of the link, the machine and the method, all within the scope of the present invention and the claims are to be construed accordingly and the terms employed are to be considered generally in a descriptive rather than in a limiting sense.

In Fig. l2, there is shown a plunger 84, which can be projected by hand into guide passage 42, to act as a stop for the entering end of the strip, thus to enable the machine to be started with the strip in position where the scrap iirst produced will be so like that produced while the machine is running, that it will be disposed of in normal fashion and not cause any interference. This strip locating stop may be spring retracted to make sure that it will stand clear of the stock and only come into effect when purposely actuated.

What is claimed is:

l. The method of manufacturing cartridge links from the full width of strip stock, which comprises slotting intermediate portions of the strip to outline along the center of the strip, a single intermediate tongue for one blank and spaced end tongues along the extreme edges of the strip, connected by a bridge portion across the center of the strip for an adjoining blank and a narrow intermediate connecting tie between the end of said single intermediate tongue of one blank and the bridge portion connecting the end tongues of said adjoining blank, trimming excess intervening material between the intermediate tongue outlined for one blank, the end tongues of the adjoining blank and the narrow tie connecting the blanks, severing the tie connecting the blanks, bending the tongues of the severed blank to cartridge embracing loop formation, by indentng the bridge portion of the severed blank in one direction and then curling the ends of the tongues around in the same direction.

2. The method of manufacturing cartridge links from the full width of strip stock, which comprises slotting intermediate portions of the strip to outline along tne center of the strip, a single intermediate tongue for one blank and spaced end tongues along the extreme edges of the strip, connected by a bridge portion across the center of the strip for an adjoining blank and a narrow intermediate connecting tie between the end of said single intermediate tongue ofone blankand the bridge portion connecting the end tongues of said adjoining blank, trimming excess intervening material between the intermediate tongue outlined for one blank, the end tongues of the adjoining blank and the narrow tie Connecting the blanks, severing the tie connecting the blanks, bending the tongues of the severed blank to cartridge embracing loop formation and in said slotting operation, dening a flange along one edge of the intermediate tongue and in the course of such operations, flaring such flange outwardly in respect to the loop formed by said tongue.

3. The method of manufacturing cartridge links from the full width of strip stock, which comprises slotting intermediate portions of the strip to outline along the center of the strip, a single intermediate tongue for one blank and spaced end tongues along the extreme edges of the strip, connected by a bridge portion across the center of the strip for an adjoining blank and a narrow intermediate connecting tie between the end of said single intermediate tongue of one blank and the bridge portion connecting the end tongues of said adjoining blank, trimming excess intervening material between the intermediate tongue outlined for one blank, the end tongues of the adjoining blank and the narrow tie connecting the blanks, severing the tie connecting the blanks, bending the tongues of the severed blank to cartridge embracing loop formation in two stages, rst with the loops curved to the proper radii but widely spaced by the bridge and then bending the bridge to bring the loops closer together into properly spaced relation.

4. The method of manufacturing cartridge links from the full width of strip stock, which comprises blanking out the central portion of the strip in a single intermediate tongue for one blank, the extreme edge portions of the strip in spaced end tongues of an adjoining blank and a bridge connecting said tongues across the center of the strip and a narrow tie connecting said bridge portion with the end of said intermediate tongue of the adjoining blank, severing said tie to free one blank, preforming the blank left attached to the strip by arching and flaring the same immediately after such severance and completing formation of the severed blank by bending the tongues of the same in cartridge embracing loops and on the radius of the arch and nare imparted thereto in the previous preforrning stage.

ALWYN E. BORTON.

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