US2403662A

US2403662A - Article rotating apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2403662A
Application number: US544959A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Samuel C Hurley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1944-07-14
Filing date: 1944-07-14
Publication date: 1946-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 1963-07-09

Description

July 9, 1946.

"s. c. HURLEY, JR

ART I OLE ROTAT ING APPARATUS Filed July 14, 1944 w r N 5 5M w a 0 k Patented July 9, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTICLE ROTATING APPARATUS Samuel C. Hurley, J r., Danville, Ill. Application July 14,1944, Serial No. 544,959 r for guiding the article to be rotated into the proper position for rotation, engaging the article with the, rotating means, and disengaging the article from the rotating means after thedesired operation has been performed, thereby stopping the rotation of the article without the necessity ofstopping the rotating means.

A further object of the invention is to engage and disengage rotating articles with a high-speed rotating spindle without the necessity for altering the speed 01 the spindle.

9 Claims. (01. 3214-1) the rollers, extending through a hole longitudinal thereto; or may form an integral part of the roller. Although in the preferred embodiment, the rotating axis of the rollers is vertical, it is understood that they could with the proper redesigning be placed ona horizontal axis or at.

any angle desired depending upon the position of the machine and the manner of introducing the article to be rotated. In general, the axis of the rollers is parallel with the rotating spindle 8. Thepreferred shape of the rollers is'right cylindricalwith one beveled'or tapered end of greater diameter than the cylindrical part.

Bearings

4 and 5 are fixed in bearing yoke 9.

The bearing yoke may be mounted on plate Ill fastened to the frame of the machine. The rotating spindle 8 is equipped with a driving nose ll which may contain a clutch lining I2 against Broadly, the invention comprises an improvement in an apparatus for spinning an article, including a rotating means, e. g., a rotating spindle and means for engaging the article with the rotating means. The improvement comprises a guide means which comprises tapered idler rollers engageable with and rotatable by the article whenthe article is rotatably. engaged with the rotating means, the larger end of the taper being adjacentthe rotating means whereby the rotating article will ride along the taper of the roller and out of contact with the rotating means when the engaging means is released, thereby disengaging the article from the rotating means and stopping the spinning motion of the article.

' In a preferred embodiment, at least three rollers are used, at least one of which is tapered and preferably all three are tapered. The position of the rollers in relation to each other will depend upon the method of introducing the article into the machine.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 is a top view of a simplified representation of the improved apparatus.

Fig.'2 is an elevation of Fig. 1 taken through line 22, partly cut away to show a detail of the driving nose. An article to berotated is in position.

Figure 3 illustrates an alternate form of roller.

Referring to Fig. 1, rollers I, I, and 3 are mounted on

bearings

4, 5 and 6; as illustrated, all three rollers have a taper I at the lower end. The

bearings

4, 5, and 6 maybe separatefrom which the article is forced when it is being rotated.

The engaging means may comprise a carriage l3 which maybe raised and lowered by appropriate means not shown. A bearing assembly which may comprise ball bearings in a suitable race, is mounted in the lower end of the carriage. A nose piece l5 which may be shaped in such a manner as to engage the article to be rotated is mounted in the lower end of carriage l3 in such a manner as'to be raised and lowered as desired'with the carriage. The nose piece 15 is mounted so that it bears upon and rotates freely within bearing [4 when the carriage I3 is brought into position to force nose piece l5 against the article 11. When the carriage is lowered, the article is forced against the clutch lining 12 on the driving nose II. The article and the nose piece 15 rotate at substantially the same rate as spindle 8, hence the bearing between nose piece l5 and bearing l4 must be accurate and freemoving with little -friction.

This device is particularly adapted to use in connection with round or cylindrical articles, The article H is placed in position in zone it. The operation of the mechanism may be best described if reference is made first to Fig. 1. The article may be introduced in this particular ap paratus from a position to the left and toward the upper part of Fig. l'through a chute or other feeding mechanism, not illustrated for purposes of simplification. As the article slides or is pushed into position into zone l6, it rests on the tapered edges 1 of

roller

1, 2, and 3, rollers I and 2 being mounted on fixed bearings and being equi-distant from the center of zone It on either side of the center line and designed to center the article in position over the spindle and driving nose. Roller 3 may be positioned on a lin passing through the center of Zone l6 perpendicular to a line drawn through the centers of

bearings

4 and 5; thus the center of bearing 6 is at the apex of a triangle, the base of which is formed by a line drawn through the centers of

bearings

4 and 5. One side is formed by a line through the center of bearings 5 and 6 and the other side is formed by a line through the center of bearings 4 and 6. Bearing 6 is mounted in bearing yoke l8 but, because of the manner in which it is mounted, floats slightly. The holes [9, through which pass the bolts holding the bearing yoke to the plate II], are slightly Oblong in shape so as to permit the roller to move back and forth slightly. The shape of the holes H! are greatly exaggerated for purposes of illustration. Th position of bearing yoke I8 and hence of roller 3 ma be controlled by fiat spring 22 mounted on the frame of the machine to thrust against yoke l8, and by the tension put on springs 23 mounted on bolts 26, by screwing down the nuts. Thus, when the article to be rotated is pressed into position by lowering carriage l3, it pushes the piece along roller 3 and thrusts roller 3 in a direction away from the center of zone l6, permitting the article to engage the surface of clutch lining l2 in driving nos H. Since spindle 8 is spinning, the article, as well as nose piece i5, is rotated. Rollers l, 2, and 3, being in contact with the piece, are also set into motion and spin with the piece.

As soon as the operation upon the article is complete and carriage I3 is raised to permit the piece to disengage, roller 3 is pushed back into position by means of spring 22. Immediately the piece, which is resting firmly against the taper 1, travels upward along the taper since there is no longer any counteracting force on the top of the article. This lifts the piece away from clutch lining I2 and, because no force is being applied to spin the piece, the friction quickly causes the article to stop spinning. In one embodiment, the next piece to be placed in position may be fed by any desired means into zone l6 and may push the article just handled out into a chute, the channel for which is indicated as 2|. One of the greatest uses of my invention is in connection with photoelectric inspection machines. The particular methods of feeding the pieces into Zone l6 and removing the piece are described as feasible methods for conducting the operation. The pieces may be dropped into position and/or removed mechanically, or by hand, depending on the type of operation being carried out and the rapidity with which the articles must be fed.

This apparatus is particularly useful in conjunction with the rotation of a piece which must be inspected. For example, certain complicated timing and actuating mechanisms are put in condition for service by being rotated at speeds of 4000-5000 R. P. M. Machines equipped with my invention may be used to determine whether parts or all of the mechanism are properly operable and to reject those which are defective. It is particularly adapted to use with relatively small articles of a round or cylindrical character.

A major advantage of this invention lies in the fact that it permits the rotating mechanism to continue to turn at a constant speed rather than to stop its rotation in order to position and remove the article each time. It is especially advantageous when the spindle must turn at high speeds, for example, above 1,000 R. P, M., where the starting and stopping of the spindle would occupy too much time and power.

Although I have described a simplified modification of my invention and indicated certain uses, it should be kept in mind that other modifications and uses come within its scope and I do not intend it to be limited by the illustrations given.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus for rotating. an article, said apparatus comprising a rotating means including a spindle and means for engaging the article with the rotating means, the improvement comprising a guiding and disengaging means comprising at least three idler rollers having at least a portion of their length tapered, the center axes of which are substantially parallel the axis of rotation of the article, said rollers being engageable with and rotatable by the article when the latter is rotatably engaged with the rotating means, the larger end of the tapers being adjacent the rotating means whereb the rotating article will ride along the roller and out of contact with the rotating means When the engaging means is not actuated thereby preventing the article from engaging with the rotating means without the application of additional force thereupon, and resilient means urging one of said rollers toward the axis of rotation of said article.

2. In an apparatus for rotating an article comprising a rotating means including a rotating spindle and means for engaging the article with the rotating means, a guiding means comprising at least three idler rollers having at least a portion of their length tapered, the center axis of which are substantially parallel to the axis of the rotation of the article, said rollers being engageable with and rotatable by the article when the latter is rotatably engaged with the rotating means, the larger end of the taper being adjacent the rotating means, two of said rollers rotating around fixed bearings, a movable support comprising bearings in which the third of said rollers is mounted, means for guiding said support and limiting its motion toward and away from the center of the article being rotated to the extent of the taper when said engaging means is operated, resilient means urging said support toward said article normally to prevent the article from engaging said rotating means unless the engaging means is applied, whereby the rotating article will ride along the taper with the rollers and out of contact with the rotating means when the engaging means is released.

3. A centering and disengaging device of the character described comprising a rotating means, an engaging means, a disengaging means comprising at least three idler rollers having at least a portion of its length tapered, said rollers being engageable with and rotatable by the article when said article is rotatably engaged with the rotating means, resilient means urging one of said rollers toward the article, said rollers being positioned with the taper adjacent the rotating means whereby the article tends to ride along the taper and out of contact with the rotating means unless sufilcient force is applied to the engaging means to overcome the lifting efiect of the taper.

4. An apparatus for positioning and rotating an article comprising rotating means including a spindle and an article-engaging clutch associated therewith, means for engaging the article with said clutch, positioning and disengaging means comprising fixed positioning members and an idler roller having at least a portion of its length 5 tapered, resilient means urging an idler roller into engagement with said article, the larger end of the roller being adjacent the rotating means whereby the rotating article will ride along the taper of the roller and out of contact with the rotating means when theengaging means is released. 1 1 i 5. An apparatus for positioning :and' rotating an article, said apparatus comprising rotating means including as'pindle and an article-engag ing clutch'associated therewith, means for engaging said article with said clutch, positioningand' disengaging means comprising at least three idler, rollers at least one of which is tapered over at least a portion of its length, a supporting structure for said rollers comprising roller-supporting bearings, the supporting structure for one roller being movable toward and away from the positioned article;resilient means associated with the last mentioned sup rt urging the roller toward said article when positioned, said roller comprising a tapered portion being positioned with the larger end adjacent the rotatingmeans whereby the rotating article isdisengaged when the means forengaging the article with said 'clutch is released, and means for disengaging said engaging means from the article. 1 e

6. An apparatus for rotating an article, comprising a rotating means including a rotating spindle and an article-engaging clutch, amemher for engaging the article with the rotating means, a guiding means comprising at least three last'mentioned support urging ittowardthe axis the latter is rotatably ing means, the larger end of the rollersbeing adjacent the rotating] means, a fixed support for 7 two of said rollers, a, slidably mounted support for the third roller to permit movement toward and away from the axis of rotation of the posi tioned article, resilient meansassociatedwith the of rotation of said article whereby the rotating article will ride alongthe taper of the rollers and out of contact with the rotating means when the article-engagingmemberis released.

f "7. A device comprisingta frame,a rotating spin- 7 die, a clutch face associated with said spindle, a

idler rollers having at least a portion of their length tapered the axes of which are substantially parallel'to the axis of rotation'of the article, said rollers being normally engageable with said articleiand being rotatable by said article when yoke, at least two idlerrollers mounted therein, a second yoke slidably mounted on the frame, a

roller mounted in the second yoke, resilient means nose piece mounted vertically over said article receiving zone, and means fOr moving said nose ,piecetoward and away from said zone.

I 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said rollers are tapered over at least a portion of theirv length, 7

9. The apparatus of claim .7 further characterized in that said rollers are cylindrical for a I a substantial part of their length andare tapered to an increasingly larger diameter through the.

remainder of their length; i t j V SAMUEL c. HURLEY, JR.

engaged with saidrotat