US2422291A - Adjustable inspector plate for dimension gaging and assorting machines - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1947. J. A. COOK ADJUSTABLE INSPECTOR PLATE FOR DIMENSION GA GING AND ASSORTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 51, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "wi l" v IN INVENTORQ JUOSOA/ A. coax W A770 EYS J. A. COOK June 17, 1947.

ADJUSTABLE INSPECTOR PLATE FOR DIMENSION GAGING AND ASSORTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 51, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. JUDSO/V 14. COO Y ATTORNEYS Patented June 17, 1947 ADJUSTABLE INSPECTOR'PLATE FOR DI- MENSION GAGING AND ASSORTING MA- CHINES Judson A. Cook, Bridgeport, conn assignor to Remington Arms Company, Inc'., Bridgeport, Y 001111., a corporation of Delaware Application December 31, 1943, Serial No. 516,330

4 Claims.

1 The present inventionrelates to a gauging apparatus, and particularly to a device adapted for the gauging of ammunition components. In

the quantity production of ammunition, it is necessary to gauge the various parts of a cartridge case such as the depth of the primer in a primer pocket, the thickness of the head of a cartridge, the diameter of the head, the diameter of the groove, etc. The dimensions of a cartridge, especiaily of the small arms variety, must be within certain allowable tolerances so that the cartridge will function in all guns which are also manufactured to a given tolerance.

The present improvement in gauging apparatus is especially useful in an automatic gauging machine of the type disclosed in the patent to Z. P. Candee, No, 1,783,404, granted December 2, 1930. In this patent, the gauging apparatus depends on the registry of the end of a gauging lever and an aperture in a movable inspector plate. The present invention has as one of its objects the provision of an inspector plate which may be easily adjusted so as to set the machine for any given tolerance or size of a cartridge. These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following drawings and description;

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a gauging machine having a gauging inspector of the present invention incorporated therein.

Fig. 2 is a vertical view partially in section, taken generally along the line 22 of Fig. ,1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation partially in section, of the adjustable gauging plate shown in Figs. 1 and 2. i

Fig. 4 is an end View of the gauging plate of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the plate of Fig. 4 and shows in dotted lines one of the adjusted positions thereof.

Fig. 6 is an end View of a plate similar to Fig. 4 and shows in dotted lines another of the methods of adjusting said plate.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary elevation of a link pivot.

The gauging machine illustratedis an example of one type of machine wherein the gauging plate of the present invention can be used. This machine automatically gauges or inspects the articles guided therethrough and usually includes a series of successively arranged guiding or inspection stations for performing various gauging opera. tions, each station including an automatic ejection means whereby the articles failing to meet the gauging standard of the station are ejected.

In this manner, the substandard articles are segregated into groups, one for each gauging test, and the standard articles are carried through the machineand discharged into a conveniently arranged receptacle. For the purposes of this description, sub-standard articles are articles which are above or below the tolerances allowed for a standard article.

' The gauging machine consists generally of a bed plate iii having fixed thereon a longitudinally extending table ll, provided with an abutment bar i2, against which the bullet end of a, cartridge can engage. Som of the stations, such as the ones gauging diameters, can have the bar l2 cut away. There are one or more track guides l3 and It upon which the cartridges roll for transfer between the several inspection stations. The cartridges are fed to the machine on the guide plate l5 and are intermittently moved along the guide bars l3 and M in spaced relation to the gauging stations by transfer bars it. As the cartridges are being gauged, pivoted holders I! are operated to move downwardly and engage a cartridge thereunder to hold the cartridge in place, ready for the gauging operation. While the cartridge is held, the carrier bars move backwardly to their former position for the next feed movement.

The gauging mechanism is carried'on the reoi procable slides l8 and I9, said slides having lateral movement toward and away from the table in slideways 29. Slide I3 is reciprocated by link 2!, which is connected to the rock arm 23, said arm being oscillated by cam 25. Slide [9 is reciprocated by link 22 which is moved by the rock arm 24, which, in turn, is oscillated by cam 26. Rock arms 23 and 24 are maintained in contact with their cams by springs 21 and 28 respectively.

If desired, a suitable adjusting means may be employedfor links 2! and 22, such as an eccentrically mounted bushing (Fig. 7), whereby the effective length of the link may be varied. The 7 link 10 has an aperture ll with a bushing 12 therein. Hole 13, which engages the pin 14, is off center so that by turning the bushing 12 in aperture ii, the relative length of the link can be changed. Set screw it is provided to lock the bushing in place.

Guide block 29 is carried by slide [9, said guide block serving as a guide for the inspector slide 39. Pin 3| is provided on the inspector slide 30 to limit the movement of the slide in one direction. At the inner end of inspector slide 30 there is provided an inspector plate 32, which will be described in detail hereafter.

Trip lever 34 is pivoted to slide H! at 33 and is urged at its upper end against the outer end of the inspector slide 36 by spring 35. The lower end of the trip lever 34 is movable into and out of the path of trip ball 36, which travels in the groove of Worm 31. The worm housing 38 has a rock arm 40 hinged thereto at 39. Rock arm 46 has a cam face 4| projecting over the worm 31 adjacent a line drawn vertically with the center of said worm.

Slide [8 has a guide head 42 in which there is threaded a sleeve 43 slidably engaging the gauging rod 44, the axis of said rod 44 being in line with the axis of the cartridge case to be gauged. It is to be understood that other forms of gauging rods and connections may be used, such as shown in the patent to Candee, No. 1,783,404 (Fig. 3). Gauging lever 46 is pivoted between the blocks 45 held by the head member 42. Gauging lever 46' may have a hardened plug 41 in the end adjacent the gauging plate. A gauging plate '48 may be fastened to the gauging lever 46, the end of said gauging plate being maintained in contact with the end of gauging rod 44 by spring 49. Adjusting screw 56 is provided on the lever for varying the position of gaugin plate 48 as desired. The gauging lever 46 is so constructed that the movement of the arm, which is operably positioned by the cartridge, is multiplied greatly at the outer plu end 41 of the gauging lever.

Plate 32 has an aperture or opening 60 therein, which cooperates with the end 41 of the lever 46. After the gauging rod 44 has been moved toward a cartridge by movement of slide l8, slide 19 is moved toward the end of the gauging rod. If the cartridge has the correct dimensions, end 41 of the lever 46 will enter the aperture 66 of the gauging plate 32 as slide l9 moves to the right.

7 In the event one of the dimensions of the cartridge isv in error, the end 41 of the lever will be moved so that it will engage plate 32' and prevent movement thereof to the right with slide 19. As agresult, movement of slide 30 relative to slide l9 will cause a rocking of the trip arm 34 so that ball 36 will be thrown to the other side of the worm. Further movement of the ball by the worm will cause it to contact the rock arm 40 and through'this operation actuate the discharge mechanism.

Adjacent each of the inspecting stations is a chute 5! through table II. One wall of this chute is closed by a hinged gate 52., said gate being operable by push rod 53; which is connected to rock arm 40. When the gate is in its normal position, such as shown in Fig. 2, the cartridge will ride thereover to the next station as it is transferred. If, for some reason, the preceding cartridge is sub-standard, ball 36 will have been moved over so that rock arm 40 is operated and. the gate 52 opened. Thus, the sub-standard cartridge will be. removed at. this point to a suitable receptacle.

In the adjustment and. setting of the present machine, the plate 32 with aperture 60 therein, forms. a critical elementyinasmuch as coopera tion with lever 41 will govern the. operation of the discharge mechanism. Referring to Fig. 3, one .fo'rm of construction of the inspector plate 32v may comprise av cover plate 16 engagingjbody 11. Body 11 is fastened to the inspector slide 36 in any suitable manner. Theplate 18 has the S-s'lot '63 therein anda beveled edge 19, which is 4 engaged by cover plate 16. A washer may be provided. The plate 18 includes aperture 60, which is defined by the resiliently mounted tongues 6| and 62, the S-shaped slot 63 serving to define the two tongues. It is obvious that the slot can be other than S-shaped and that one tongue only can be provided, if desired. Screws 64 and 65 are threadedly engaged into the body 11. Screws 64 and 65 have a tapered portion 61 and 68 respectively. If, upon adjusting the machine, it is found that the aperture 60 is so large that it gives too great a tolerance in the measured articles, taper screws 64 and 65 may be turned inwardly so as to cause the resilient tongues to approach each other, the margins of the aperture thus approaching each other, as shown in thedotted lines at 69, Fig. 5. In this manner, the device is easily adjusted for the purpose of changing tolerance limits. The adjusting screws of the invention also provide a means which can be used, if desired, for changing the relative position of the center of the aperture'as shown in Fig. 6. If the upper movement of the lever is incorrect, it is possible to adjust the upper screw only. When this is done, the center of the aperture is moved. It is also evident that the aperture originally may be made larger than that required and the tapered screws employed to make the aperture the desired size. this is done, if it is found that the center of the plate is incorrect, it is possible to loosen one screw and tighten the other so as to maintain the size of the aperture constant, and thus shift the axis of the aperture thereof upwardly or downwardly. Because ofthe multiplication of movement by lever 46, the adjustment takes place where the movement is greatest, and as a result, the machine is easier to set.

What is claimed is:

1. In an article gauging machine; a lever positionedin accordance with thedimension of an article; a movable support and plate thereon, said plate having resiliently mounted margins defining an aperture; means to change the position of said margins relative to each other, enabling adjustment of size and position of said aperture relative to the axis of movement of said support and plate; means to rectilinearly move said support and plate toward and away from one end of' said lever in a predetermined path, the extent of movement thereof being determined by position of said lever in relation to the margins defining the aperture; and means operable by movement of said plate to separate standard from sub-standard articles.

2. In an article gauging machine; a lever 0;

sitioned angularly in accordance with the dimension of an article being gauged; a movable, support and platev thereon, said plate having resiliently mounted margins defining an aperture; taper screw means adapted to change the position of'saidi margins relativeto each other and V to theaxis of movement of said, plate; means to When tongues so as to change the position and size of said aperture relative to the axis of movement of the movable inspector; means to move said inspector in a predetermined path toward and away from said end of said lever, the aperture being adapted to slip over the end of the lever when the lever is positioned by a standard article, and said inspector being restrained in movement when the lever is positioned by a sub-standard article; and means operated in accordance with movement of said inspector to separate standard and sub-standard articles.

4. In an article gauging machine; a lever having one end positioned by an article; a movable support and plate thereon, said plate having an S-shaped slot therein with margins defined by said plate; taper screw means in two exterior opposed legs of said S-shaped slot adapted to change the relation of the margins of the middle leg of said slot, enabling adjustment thereof as to position and size; means to move said support and plate in a predetermined path toward and away from one end of said lever, the aperture being adapted to slip over the end of the lever when the lever is positioned by a standard article, and said plate being restrained in movement when the lever is positioned by a sub-standard article; and means operated in accordance with movement of said plate to separate standard and sub-standard articles.

JUDSON A. COOK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,783,404 Candee Dec. 2, 1930 1,634,019 Coullery June 28, 1927 1,487,803 Peterson Mar, 25, 1924 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,422,291. June 1,7, 1947. JUDSON A. COOK It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Column 4, line 65, claim 2, after the word lever" and before the comma, insert in a predetermined path; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 30th day of September, A. D. 1947.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Oommz'ssioner of Patents.

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