US2375119A

US2375119A - Flame hardening apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2375119A
Application number: US456023A
Authority: US
Inventors: Tourneau Robert G Le
Original assignee: LeTourneau Inc
Current assignee: Keppel LeTourneau USA Inc
Priority date: 1942-08-25
Filing date: 1942-08-25
Publication date: 1945-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 1962-05-01

Description

y 1945- R. G. LE TOURNEAU FLAME HARDENING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 25, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet l li'r'gll INVENTOR E. 6'. Le Tourneau.

WAX/4 W May 1, 1945.

R. G. LE TOURN EAU FLAME HARDENING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 25, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR R G. LPYburnea w HTTYS May 1, 1945.

R. .6. LE TOURNEAU FLAME HARDENING APPARATUS 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 25

INVENTOR R. G. Le 7burneau,

M Maui? Patented May 1, 1945 FLAME- HARDENING APPARATUS Robert G. Le Tourneau, Peoria, 111., assignor to R. G. Le Tourneau, Inc., Stockton, CaliL, a corporationvot California Application August 25, 1942, Serial No. 456,023 '12 Claims. (Cl. 266-4) This invention relates in general to flame hardening apparatus, and in particular the invention is directed to, and it is an object to prothe member when the support is moved to a raised position being disposed in a heating zone, and the member when the support is moved to a lowered position being disposed in a quenching zone. I

A further object of this invention is to provide, in flame hardening apparatus, a pair of spaced vertically movable supports for-members to be hardened, a horizontal flame or burner unit mounted in a plane above said supports iorhorizontal movement between positions in vertical alinement with said supports, and actuating means arranged to swing said burner unit alternately from one such position to the other, with a predetermined time lapse between each movement, and during which lapse the burner unit is stationary; there being means to move the'corresponding support vertically to a raised position and to project the member thereon into the unit when the latter is in alined stationary position thereabove, the supported members being disposed in a quenching zone when the supports are moved to a lowered position. An advantage of this arrangement is that only a single burner unit is required, which is being constantly used without any material non-use and waste of the heating means being had. 3

An additional object of this invention is to provide flame hardening apparatus, as in the preceding paragraph, in which said support moving means is actuated in timed relation to the alter nate movement ofthe burner unit; the raised support for a member disposed within the unit being moved to lowered position immediatelyprior to the end of said predetermined time lapse whereby to clear said member from the unit be fore the next swinging movement of the latter.

It is also-an object of the invention to provide flame hardening apparatus in which, in addition to the above features, the moving means for said supports is operative to effect timed movement of each support to a raised position to permit unloading and loading of said support, and subsequent return movement to alowered specification and claims.

position, when said support is out of alinement with the burner unit.

A further object oi the invention is to provide, in novel assembly, a motor actuated cam mechanism arranged in controlling relation with the flame ring unit actuating means, and the separate actuating means for the pedestals which support the members.

A further object of the invention is to Dr duce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly eflective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by the perusal of the following *In'the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure l is a side elevation of the apparatus partly in section;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the oil tank illustrating one of the air cylinder and pedestal assemblies in lowered position; the ordnance shell supported thereon being disposed with its nose in the corresponding quenching ring.

Figure 4 is a reduced size, somewhat diagrammatic plan view of the motor actuated cam mechanism which controls the flame ring unit actuating means, and the separate air cylinder and pedestal assemblies.

I Figure 5 is a detached sectional elevation of a shell-nose heating or burner unit.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the apparatus comprises an open-topped tank I which is rectangular in plan and of substantial depth; this tank being supported some distance above the floor by legs 2.

A pair of vertically disposed, single acting air tank. The piston rods 5 of .said cylinders project upwardly into the tank to a termination some distance above said bottom 4 thereof. A hub 6 is fixed on each piston rod 5 within the tank adiacentth'e bottom 4, and this hub is journaled in bearings I and 8; the bearings I being mounted in a horizontal platform 9 within the tank above the bottom 4, while the bearing 4 is suitably mounted in said bottom of the tank. A-

relatively large diameter, horizontal gear I0 is formed with each hub 6 below the corresponding platform 9 and is driven by a pinion ll of a gear train, indicated generally at l2, which includes a vertical drive shaft l3 projecting downwardly through the bottom of the tank; this shaft l3 being driven by any suitable means (not shown).

The piston rods 5above the corresponding platform 9 are each fitted with a horizontal circular diSc or support H on which the object to be hardened is adapted to seat, such object in the present instance being shown as an ordnance shell S. The piston rods 5 and pedestals are constantly driven from the gear train |2.

A quenching ring I5 is mounted in tank I in centered relation about each disc l4; each ring being supported by legs I6 from the adjacent platform 9, and being open top and bottom. The quenching rings l5 are of substantial height and each is formed to include a surrounding and annular chamber I T from which the quenching oil is discharged inwardly through a multiplicity of relatively small hole l8 in the ring. Oil under- J pressure is fed from pipes l9 intothe chamber II at four points in its circumference. The pipes l9 are fed from a supply pipe 20 which is disposed outside tank I and which connects with a reservoir tank and pump: assembly (not shown).

of tank I below cylinder 30, and this platform is fitted with an upstanding wall 34. An electric motor is mounted on platform 33 and by means of a belt 35 drives a pair of coupled

speed reduction boxes

31 and 38; the output shaft of speed reduction box 38 being indicated at 39, which is outwardly of wall 34, as shown in Fig. 4.

A rotary cam is secured on shaft 39 outwardly of wall 34, and is formed with a high cam surface 4| and a low cam surface 42; such cam surfaces being of equal length. A two-way valve 43 is supported by and in front of wall 34 adjacent rotary cam 49; a source of air pressure being connected to valve43 by a conduit 44, while conduits connect the valve 43 with opposite ends of the heating unit actuating cylinder 30. The valve43 includes a cam engaging lever 46 which rides cam 43, and with rotation of said cam the j present embodiment being one revolution every The small; relatively high velocity stream of oil from holes l8 strike the nose of shell S when the latter and its support are in lowered position, and then the oil falls into the tank wherein a predetermined oil level is maintained; the excess oil flowing out of a suitable drain back to the reservoir tank.

A gas manifold 2| is disposed horizontally some distance above the top of tank i, and this manifold is swingably mounted, by means of a depending insulated sleeve 22, on a post 23 for alternate movement between positions in vertical concentric alinement with the quenching rings l5 and corresponding supports 14. The post 23 is tubular and jatits upper end communicates with the interior -"iif manifold 2|; there-being a gas seal 24 between the post and said manifold, and the lower end of the post connecting with a gas supply Pipe 25. a v

A burner 0r flame unit 28 of suitable type is disposed within a depending hood 21' heavily lined with flreclay plaster or the like and adapted to surround the nose of a shell projecting into the hood in clearance relation thereto, as indicated in Fig. 5. The burner and hood as a unit are supp rted within manifold 2| in centralized relation to the shell support below, gas for the burner being supplied from the manifold by a pipe 28.

The heating unit is alternately moved between centered positions over the supports l4 by means of the following mechanism: A radial arm 29 is secured to and projects from tbe'manifold supporting sleeve 22 adjacent the lower end of the latter. A double acting air cylinder 30 is disposed horizontally and in ofiset relation to the radial arm, such cylinder being pivoted at one end on a horizontal bracket 3| which projects from one end of tank I. The piston rod 32 of cylinder 30 is pivoted at its outer end in connection with radial arm 29. The rod 32, when actuated in one direction. swing the heating unit over one support M in centered relation, and when actuated in the other direction swings said heating unit over the other support in centered relation.

The piston rod 32 is alternately actuated at redetermined intervals by means of the following described mechanism:

A horizontal platform 33 projects from the side sixteen minutes. The heating unit thus remains in each centered position with a support for ap- L proximately eight minutes.

" 'I'he rods 5 of air cylinders 3 are each actuated in a predetermined sequence of raising and lower ing movements by the following arrangement:

Another rotary cam 41 is fixed on shaft 39 outwardly of rotary cam 40. A pair of one-

way valves

48 and 49 are supported from wall 34 adjacent said rotary cam 41 but on opposite sides thereof, said

valves

48 and 49 including valve actuating levers 50 riding the periphery of cam 41 at points apart. The levers 50 are maintained in frictional contact with the periphery of rotary cam 41 by a tension spring 5|, which extends across the face of said cam and connects between said levers.

Rotary cam 41 likewise rotates once every sixteen minutes. and the periphery of this cam is formed as a high cam surface 52 of seven minutes relative length. a following low cam surface 53 of four minutes relative length, then a high cam surface 54 of four minutes relative length. and finally a low cam surface 55 of one minute relative length.

The

valves

48 and 49 are each connected by a conduit 51 with the lower end of corresponding cam 4'! 180 apart, the valves operate the corre-- sponding cylinders 3 to move pedestals |4 through like sequences of movement, but onehalf cycle apart.

The sequence of movement of each shell supporting disc I4 is as follows: the sequence for the cylinder 3 and pedestal 1 l4 corresponding to valve 48 beingdescribed for the purpose of clarity.

With each revolution of rotary cam 47, the high cam surface 52 operates the valve 48 so that the corresponding cylinder rod 5 is actuated and raises the disc H for a shell heating period of seven minutes; the disc, when in fully raised position, being disposed so that the nose only of a shell S seated on the disc projects within the heating zone of the heating unit which is then centered thereabove. At the end of the seven minute heating period, the low cam surface 53 comes into play, whereupon the valve 48 vents and the disc and the supported shell lowers by gravity; the heating unit by action of cam 40 then swinging to the alternate heating position over the other disc, as will hereafter appear.- The heated nose of the shell, when the disc is in fully lowered position, is disposed within and treated by the corresponding quenching ring IS. The shell support remains lowered and the nose of the shell remains within the quenching ring for the four minute length of low camsurface 53, and then the high cam surface 54 functions to cause the support to again be raised to permit of removal of the treated shell from the disc and placement of an untreated shell in its place. At the end of this unloading and'loacling period of four minutes duration, the low cam surface 55 vents the valve 48 and causesthe support to drop for one minute; this one minute in lowered position being for the purpose of permitting the heating unit to swing into centered position over said support for another heating period, which will immediately follow. 1

The heating unit control cam 40 is set in such relation to disc control cam 41 as to efiectswinging of the flame ring unit into centered position over each disc, while the latter is in lowered position corresponding .to low cam surface 55 and which is immediately prior to raising movement of the pedestal for a shell heating period corresponding to high cam surface 52; and to effect swinging'movement of the heating unit away from each centered position over a disc to the alternate centered position immediately after the heating period and when the disc lowers to shell quenching position corresponding to low cam surface 53. It will thus be seen that as each disc is subsequently raised by the influence of high cam surface 54 for unloading and loading, the heating unit is in an alternate andoutof-the-way position.

This relative setting of the cams 40 and M is easily accomplished, as the sequence 'of movements of the two shell supports are, as previously indicated, alike and exactly one-half cycle apart,

\ and the heating unit is swung between its alternatepositions after, minutes. M

The advantages of the apparatus reside in the automatic and timed control of the heating, quenching of the shells S which result in a uniequal time lapses of eight form product hardened within predetermined tion as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what! claim as new anduseful and desire'to'se'c'ure by Letters Patent is:

1. Flame hardening apparatus comprising a pair of spaced supports for an object to be treated, means mounting the supports for separate vertical movement to and .from a raised position with the object in a heating zone and a lowered position with the object in a quenching zone, means to control such movements of the supports in alternating cycles, the cycle of each support including raising said support for a predetermined time lapse, a single flame unit for cooperation one at a time with said pair of supports, means mounting the flame unit for alternate horizontal movement between positions adjacent the supports, said flame unit when in either of said positions being in heating relation to the object on the corresponding support when the latter is raised, and means to move said flame unitbetween said positions in such predetermined timed relation to the cycles of the supports as to position said flame unit in heating relation to the corresponding object when the supports are raised for said time lapse.

2. Flame hardening apparatus comprising a pair of spaced supports for an object to be treated, means mounting the supports for separate vertical movement to and from a raised position with the object in a heating zone and a lowered position with the object in a quenching zone, means to control such movements of the supports in alternating cycles. said cycles half overlapping and the cycle of each support including raising said support for a predetermined time lapse, a single flame unit for cooperation one at a time with said pair of supports, means mounting said flame unit for horizontal movement between positions in heating relation to the objects on the supports when raised, and means to move said flame unit into heating relation to the corresponding object before each support is raised for said time lapse.

I 3. A flame hardening apparatus as in claim 2 in which said last named means is arranged to function in such predetermined timed relation to movement of said supports that the flame.

unit moves into object heating position to an object immediately prior to raising of each support for said time lapse, and moves out of said position immediately after lowering of said support at the end of said time lapse.

4. Flame hardening apparatus comprising a pair of spaced supports for an object to be treated, means mounting the supports for separate vertical movement to and from a raised position with the object in a heating zone and a lowered position with the object in a quenching zone, means to control such movements of the supports in alternating overlapping cycles, the cycle of each support comprising two movements at spaced intervals to raised position, and there held for predetermined periods of time, a single horizontal flame unit for cooperation one at a time with said pair of supports, means mounting said unit for horizontal horizontal swinging movement'between centered object heating positions above said supports, and means to swing said flame unit to centered position above each support prior to the initial one of said movements thereof to raised position and to swing said flame unitaway from said centered position after the corresponding and following time lapse, each support upon the second of said movements thereof to raised position being out of alinement relative to the flame ring unit whereby to permit unloading and loading of said support.

5. Flame hardening apparatus comprising a pair of horizontally spaced vertically and separately movable work supports, a single flame unit for cooperation one at a time with said pair of supports, said flame unit bein disposed in a horizontal plane above the highest level of the supports, means mounting the flame unit for swinging movement through a horizontal path between positions directly over the supports, means to control the vertical movement of the supports in alternating order but in overlapping cycles whereby at one period in their cycles of movement both supports will be lowered at the same time, and means to swing the flame unit from one position to the other when the supports are both lowered.

6. Flame hardening apparatus comprising a pair of spaced vertically and separately movable supports adapted to support objects to be treated, a power cylinder operative to move each support to and from a raised position with the object in 'a heating zone and a lowered position with the object in a quenching zone, a single, horizon-, tal flame unit for cooperation one at a time with I said pair of supports, means mounting said unit for horizontal swinging movement between posi-? tions centered above said supports and adjacent; the latter when raised whereby to heat sup-'4 ported objects, a power cylinder connected with said unit and operative to move the same be? tween said centered positions, and control means arranged to effect operation of the support and flame unit actuating cylinders in predetermined timed order.

I. Flame hardening apparatus comprising a pair 01' spaced vertically and separately movable supports adapted to support objects to be treated, a power cylinder operative to move each;

9. Flame hardening apparatus as in claim 7 in which said control means for said valves comprises ardriven shaft, a pair of cam plates fixed on said shaft; the separate valves for the pedestal actuating cylinders being operated by one cam at points 180 apart whereby the cycles of movement of the supports overlap by one-half cycle, and the separate valve for theflame unit actuating cylinder being operated by the other cam.

10. Object heating mechanism for flame hardening apparatus which includes an object support mounted for controlled vertical movement between a raised position with the object in a heating zone and lowered position with the object in a quenching zone; said mechanism comprising a flame unit, means mounting said flame unit for horizontal movement alternately to and from a position wherein, upon movement of said support to raised position; the object is disposed in heating relation to said flame unit, and power means automatically operative to cause such alternate movements of the flame unit in timed relation to said controlled vertical movement of the object support.

11. Object heating mechanism for flame hardening apparatus which includes an object support'mounted for controlled vertical movement between a raised position with the object in a heating zone and lowered position with the object in a quenching zone; said mechanism'comprising a flame unit, means mounting said flame unit for horizontal movement alternately to and from arposition wherein, upon movement of said support to raised position, the object is disposed in heating relation to said flame unit, and power support to and from a raised position with the object in a heating zone and a lowered position with the object in a quenching zone, a horizontal flame unit, means mounting said unit for swinging movement between positions centered above said supports and adiacent the latter when raised whereby to heat supported objects, a power cylinder connected with said unit and operative to move the same between said centered positions,

means to actuate each cylinder including a coni 8. Flame hardening apparatus as in claim '7 in which said control means for said valves comprises a driven'shaft, a pair of cam plates flxed on said shaft; the separate valves for the support actuating cylinders being operated by one cam, and the separate valve for the flame ring unit actuating cylinder being operated by the other cam.

' to move said flame unit into said position prior means automatically operative to cause such alternate movements of the flame unit in timed relation to said controlled vertical movement of the object support; said power means functioning to move saidflame. unit into said position prior to but only upon alternate movements of said support to raised position.

'12. Object'heating mechanism for flame hardening apparatus which includes an object sup port mounted for controlled vertical movement between a raised position with the object in a heating zone and lowered position with .the object in a quenching zone;- said mechanism comprising a flame unit, means mounting said flame unit for horizontal movement alternately to and from a position wherein, upon movement of said support to raised position, the object is disposed in heating relation to said flame unit, and power means automatically operative to cause such alternate movements of the flame unit in timed relation to said controlled vertical movement of the object support; said power means functioning to but only upon alternate movements of said support to raised position, and to move said flame unit away from said position immediately after movement of said support to lowered positionv following each of said alternate movements thereof to raised position.

ROBERT G. LE TOURNEAU.