US2571556A

US2571556A - Movable worktable for presses

Info

Publication number: US2571556A
Application number: US86183A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sr Harold E Folkerth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-04-08
Filing date: 1949-04-08
Publication date: 1951-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 1968-10-16

Description

1951 H. E. FOLKERTH, SR

MOVABLE WORK TABLE FOR PRESSES 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed April 8, 1949 INVENTO W 2;

H/S 4 TTOENE Y5 H. E. FOLKERTH, SR

MOVABLE WORK TABLE FOR PRESSES Oct, 16, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed April 8, 1949 IN VEN TOR. M6 lb.

Patented Oct. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT GF-F'I'CE MOVABLE WGRKTABLE FOR *PRES-SES Harold E. Folkerth, 'sr., Dayton, Ohio Application AprilB, 1949, Serial No. 86,183

4 Claims. (Cl. 164-117) This invention relates to-a feeding device and more particularly to a feeding dev ice for feeding a work piece into successive operative positions.

The object of the device disclosed herein is to provide-a mechanism .for accurately positioning a workpiece in-a plurality ofpositions in stepped relation, the work piece being fed in successive steps both in-rows-and'tiers, the mechanism automatically presenting the work material in each of the positions without the attention of the operator, said mechanismoperating in synchronism with the tooioperating upon the work piece, such as a drill, punch,-die, or any other suitable work tool. This has been accomplished by the use of a pair of cams, one of which actuates a work table in one direction through a'plurality of steps, the other of which actuates the work table in a transverse direction upon the completion of the movement'of the work table in 'the first direction, the cams operating alternately, one cam actuating the "table in a plurality of steps in sequence in one direction, theother actuating the work table only one step in a transverse direction between each sequence of steps.

Other objects-and advantages reside in-the construction of parts, the combination thereof and the mode of operatio'mas will become more apparent from the following description.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a work table and thecontrol mechanism therefor for usewith a drill press, a punch-press or any other suitable tool, the tool having been omitted from the disclosure.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially'on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure '5 is a schematic wiring diagram used in controlling the movements of the work table.

In the'drawings, the reference character If] indicates a bed or a frame for supporting the mechanism used-in association with the work feeding device. As may best be seen in Figures 2 and 3, a base 12 is supported upon the bed [0. This base I2 supports a guide member 14 provided with a dovetail groove '16 receiving a dovetail guide portion l8 of a movable member 20. This movable member '20 is provided with an upwardly directed transversely disposed dovetail guide portion 22 seated in a dovetail groove in the work table 24.

Members

12 and 14 are stationary and always remain in fixed relation with respect to .12 the frame l 0. -Mov-able member 20 is mounted for longitudinal movement with respect to= the guide member M. The work table "-24 is mounted for transverse movement upon the "movable member 20.

As may best 'be seen by referring to Figure '-2, the work table 24 is always biased to "the right, as viewed in-t-his figure, by a pair of compressien springs '26, only one-ofwh-ich has been shown, engaging the heads of' p'lungers 28 mounted for reciprocatorymovement-inbearings 3 0 and abutting stop members 32 'fixedly-atta'ched to the base [2. Movable member Ellis always biased "to the left, as viewed in Figure '3,-by a-pair of plungers 34, spring urged in a-manner identical to that disclosed in connection with the plungers -28. Each of the plungers 34 engages a stop 36, fixed- 1y attached to the bed or-frame 10. The-driving mechanism for intermittentlyoperating

members

20 and 24 will now be described.

An electric motor 40, mounted -on'a frame l-l, actuates a speed reducing gear-mechanism-42, having anoutput shaft 44 keyed-to a clutchmember 46. A shaft 48 is journalled -in suitable bearings in a standard 50 mounted on the frame =l-l and in a standard "52 mounted on-the bed H3. The shaft-48 has one end 'rotatably mounted in the'clutch member 46, so as to maintain alignment. A complementary clutch member 54 is splined to the shaft 48 and may be 'actuate'dby a ,yoke 56 electromagnetically"controlled by an armature 58 of a solenoid 60 into engagement with the clutch member "46, so as to drive the shaft 48 from the motor .40 whenever the clutch members are in engagement.

The shaft '48 has keyedthereto a cammember 62 actuating a cam follower "64 mounted for reciprocatory movement in a bearing .66 in the standard 50. The end of the cam follower 64 engages the side of the work table 24, so that as the cam member 62 is rotated from one'cam surface level to .another cam surface level, the table i either actuated away from the cam by the cam follower or actuated towards'the cam by 'the compression spring "26, depending upon whether successive cam surface levels have an increasing radius .or a decreasing radius. Each of the cam surface levels is .arcuate. When the radius is increasingfrom one 'c'amsurface "level to another, the work table :24 is actuated away from the .cam, so as to progressively compress the spring '26 andretractthe plungers 28. This takes place during 'half of a revolution of the shaft '48. "During the other halfof the revolution of the 'shaft, the cam "follower recedes, so as to permit the work table to move in step towards the cam. The cam surface 62a is an arcuate surface centered on the axis of rotation of the shaft 48. The cam surface 62b is another arcuate cam surface on another level, that is, the radius of the arcuate surface 62b is also centered on the axis of rotation of the shaft 48. The radius of the arcuate surface 62b is less than the radius of the arcuate surface 62a. Between the arcuate cam surfaces 62a and 62b is a cam follower actuating surface 63 used in moving the-cam follower 64 from one cam surface level to another level. The

cam surfaces

62b, 62c, 52d and 62a have radii progressively decreasing in length. The radii of the cam surfaces 82 62g and back to 62a progressively increase in length, for reasons which will appear more fully later.

A bevelled gear I is keyed to the end of the shaft 48 and meshes with a pinion I2 keyed to a shaft I4 journalled in suitable bearings in the standard 52 and having keyed thereto a pair of cams I6 and I8. The gear ratio of the gears I0 and I2 is such that the cam I6 will make onehalf revolution during the period of time that the cam follower 64 passe over one cam surface. For example, the cam I6 will actuate the table 24 and movable member 20 through four steps while the cam follower 64 passes over one cam surface 62a or any one of the other cam surfaces 621) to 62f. A cam follower 80 is interposed between the cam I6 and the work table 24, so that as the cam I6 rotates, the cam follower 80 actuates the work table 24 in one direction. During the other half revolution of the cam I6, a spring (not shown) interposed behind the plunger 34, actuates the work table and member 20 towards the cam I6.

As may best be seen by referring to Figures 1, 3 and 5, a microswitch 82 is provided with a switching element or cam follower 84 contacting the cam I8. This cam I8 is provided with a plurality of notches 86, there being one notch for each of the cam surfaces 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d, Hie, 16f, 16g (not shown) and 16h. Whenever the cam follower 84 of the microswitch 82 drops into a recess, it actuates the microswitch 82. This microswitch 82 is a 2-way switch, as shown in Figure 5. For example, the switching element or cam follower 84 may be spring urged by means of a spring 85, as shown schematically in'Figure 5, and terminates in a hook 88 engaging a lobe or ratchet tooth in member 90 mounted on the shaft 92 used in actuating the switch.

The 2-way switch 82 in one position is connected to a line 94 and when actuated into another position is connected in a line'96. These lines are connected to two poles of a 2-way switch I00 actuated by means of a shaft I02 provided with a ratchet I04 actuated by a pawl I06 that is preferably connected to the drill press head or the punch press head in such a manner that whenever the punch press operates, it switches the contacts from one line 84 to line 96 or vice versa.

The common terminal of the switch I00 i connected to the input circuit. The other line of the input circuit is connected to the electromagnet or solenoid 60 having the other terminal connected by a line I III to a pair of microswitches I I2 and I I4, both normally closed. These microswitches H2 and H4 are mounted within a suitable cavity in member I2. The work table 24 has mounted therein a downwardly directed pin II6 that is free to travel within a slot H8 in member, this slot I I8 extending parallel to the dovetail guide 22. Furthermore, the pin IIG extends into an annular aperture I20 in members I2 and I4. The slot II8 has been shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and the annular aperture I20 has been shown as a dotted circle in Figure 1.

Whenever the work table reaches one extremity, the pin I I6 actuates the microswitch I I2, so as to open-circuit the line through the solenoid 60. This is to arrest the operation of the machinery whenever all of the holes have been drilled or punched in a work piece. Another work piece is then placed in the machine and the circuit closed by means of'a push button switch I30 connected in parallel across the two microswitches H2 and H4, which causes the work table to reverse its path to drill holes in the new work piece an identical pattern to the previou work piece, but in a reverse direction, until the pin [I6 actuates the microswitch H4. The entire operation on the work piece represents one-half revolution of the cam 62. The second piece is controlled by the other half of the cam 62 cansing the work table and the cams to move into the position in which they are found when the first work piece was put into the machine. In other words, when the cam 62 rotates through one revolution, it represents two half cycles, each half cycle completing the operation on a work piece.

The circuit arrangement shown in Figure 5 is schematic and merely shown for the purpose of illustration. Any other suitable circuit arrangement accomplishing the same results could be used. 7

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An actuating device for actuating the work table to present work to an operating tool such as a drill press, punch press and the like. said actuating device including acam, electromagnetically controlled clutch mechanism for intermittently rotating the cam, a cam follower actuated by the cam, said cam follower being connected to the work table so as to actuate the work table in response to changes in the contour of the cam, a second cam. means for driving said second cam, said means including a gear mechanism whereby the second cam makes a predetermined number of revolutions while the first cam makes one revolution. and a second cam follower actuated by the second cam, said second cam follower engaging the work table so as to move the work table in a direction normal to the movements imparted to the work table by the first cam follower, said second cam imparting a series ofpair of cams, cam followers extending from the cams to the work support, each of said cams having a series of concentric cam surfaces, successive cam surfaces progressively increasing in diameter throughout one-half of the cam and progressively decreasing throughout the other half of the cam, means for intermittently driving one of the cams, and a change speed device for connecting the other cam to said one cam, said change speed device causing said other cam to make a predetermined number of revolutions while the first cam makes one revolution, said cams rotating in planes at right angles toeach other, one of said cams intermittently actuating the work table in one direction through a series of steps during one-half of a revolution, after which the other cam actuates the work table in a direction normal to said first direction through one step.

3. An actuating device for actuating the work table to present work to an operating tool such as a drill press, punch press and the like, said actuating device including a cam, means for intermittently rotating the cam, a cam follower actuated by the cam, said cam follower being connected to the work table so as to actuate the work table in response to changes in the contour of the cam, a second cam, means for driving said second cam, said means including a gear mechanism whereby the second cam makes a predetermined number of revolutions while the first cam makes one revolution, a second cam follower actuated by the second cam, said second cam follower engaging the work table so as to move the work table in a direction normal to the movements imparted to the work table by the first cam follower, said second cam imparting a series of movements to the work table for each movement of the work table by the first cam, and resilient means for urging the work table in a direction opposing the movement of the cams.

4. A work feeding mechanism for feeding a work .piece intermittently to an operating tool, said work feeding mechanism including a work support mounted for transverse movements, a pair of cams, cam followers extending from the cams to the Work support, each of said cams having a series of concentric cam surfaces, successive cam surfaces progressively increasing in diameter throughout one-half of the cam and progressively decreasing throughout the other half of the cam, means for intermittently driving one of the cams, a change speed device for connecting the other cam to said one cam, said change speed device causing said other cam to make a predetermined number of revolutions while the first cam makes one revolution, said cams rotating in planes at right angles to each other, one of said cams intermittently actuating the work support in one direction through a series of steps during one-half of a revolution after which the other cam actuates the work support in a direction normal to said first direction through one step, and resilient means for urging the work support in a direction opposing the movement of the cams.

HAROLD E. FOLKERTH, SR.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7,552 Vine et a1. Aug. 6, 1850 383,898 Moreau June 5, 1888 1,560,918 Stubgen Nov. 10, 1925