US2572554A - Drive mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 23, 1951 E. w. WORTHINGTON 2,572,554 7 DRIVE MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 16, 1944 I 3 Sheets-Sheet l div 0g Qmrfioggfojg 44w fi A/ u I MTTOQN'ELYJ 1951 E. w. WORTHINGTON 2,572,554

DRIVE MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 16, 1944 3 Sheeis-Sheet 3 5 a g. H 50 -m-- --5? -o- /54 50- .2%: 1,2 32+ -wr 3 1011 QMOVorZ/whyfaz MM 1 J Patented Oct. 23, 1951 DRIVE MECHANISM Emory W. Worthington, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Goss Printing Press Company, Chicago, 111., a. corporation of Illinois Original application September 16, 1944, Serial No. 554,417. Divided and this application May 23, 1945, Serial No. 595,279

4 Claims.

The present application is a division of my application Serial No. 554,417, filed September 16, 1944, now Patent No. 2,497,648. In the latter application is disclosed an adjusting mechanism for printing press ink fountains. Included in such adjusting mechanism is a drive mechanism, which is per se of general utility even aside from the field of printing press ink fountains, and which forms the subject matter of this present application.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved arrangement for selectively driving a desired one or more of a series of driven elements from a single driver.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement of the character set forth above in which provision is made for limiting the range of movement of the several individual driven devices without interfering with the movement of any other driven device or devices even though they are all actuated from the same driver.

Another object is to provide a drive arrangement controllable by means of a simple low power relay winding or the like to accomplish completion of the driving connection and without the necessity of using sliding clutch elements or the like.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, taken in connection, with the accompanying. drawings in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary plan view of a housing from the top of which project the upper ends of a row of adjusting screws which the presently disclosed drive mechanism is adapted to actuate.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through the housing shown in Fig. 1, and showing a portion of the drive mechanism housed therein.

Fig. 3 is a tranverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective View for showing one of the adjusting screws, its associated actuating gearing and control electromagnet.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view of the adjustment mechanism drive shaft and earing carried thereby, with the latter partially sectioned along the. line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a face view of the. control station for the drive mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially along the line l-l in Fig. 6 and also showing a portion of the shafting connected to the operating knob at the control station, as well as a fragment of the press frame in which the control station is installed.

Fig. 8 is a simplified Wiring diagram for a portion of the switches located at the control station.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will herein describe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the invention has been illustrated herein as embodied in a drive mechanism for a series of adjusting screws 26 (Figs. 1 and 2), each threaded in a housing 23 as indicated at 21 (Fig. 3) These particular screws happen to be arranged to adjust the flexure of a blade 2!! with reference to an ink fountain roller ll, all as more particularly disclosed in my earlier filed application Serial No. 554,417 referred to above. For purposes of the present invention, however, such screws are simply exemplary of positionally adjustable devices or elements, as such, and to which my novel drive mechanism herein disclosed may be applied.

The screws 26 are, in the present instance, all adapted to be actuated from a single control station 28 (Figs. 6 and '7) which may, for example, be located on a press or machine frame at a convenient point more or less remote from the screws. This station 28 includes an operating knob or handle 29 and a group of selector switches 3i], one of the latter for each adjusting screw 26. In brief, the arrangement is such that the operator has only to snap on the desired one or ones of the selector switches to connect the operating knob 29 drivingly to the corresponding screws 26 for rotational adjustment of the latter in accordance with turning of the knob.

Referring to Figs. 6 and '7, it will be seen that the control station 28 there shown comprises a panel 3| fixed to a press frame, fragmentarily illustrated, in slightly inclined position and carrying the selector switches 30. The latter are enclosed at the rear side of the panel by a suitable housing 32. The selector switches may be ordinary double-pole, two-position tumbler switches of the snap-acting type having operating handles 30a. The panel 3| bears suitable identifying numbers beneath each switch handle correlating the same with the corresponding adjusting screws, and also bears appropriate indicia of the on and off positions for the switches.

The operating knob 29 is pinned to a stub shaft 33 journaled in a bracket 34 and projecting through a suitable aperture beneath the groupof selector switches so as to be readily available for manipulation in conjunction with these switches. A single drive shaft 35 (Fig. 2) is used. for imparting motion derived from the operating knob 29 to selected ones of the adjusting screws 25. In the present instance such shaft projects longitudinally through the housing 23, being journaled in suitable bearings (not shown) at opposite ends of the latter. An axially aligned extensiin shaft 35 (Fig. '7) is connected to the forward end of the drive shaft by a suitable coupling (not shown). The extension shaft 35 is connected at its forward end by bevel gears 37 (Fig. 7) to an upright shaft 38, and the latter is in turn connected'by bevel gears 39 with the stub shaft 33 carrying the operating knob 29.

In order that the operator may be apprised through sense of touch of the amount of angular turning movement imparted to the knob or handwheel 29, a detent arrangementis employed for releasably restraining this knob in successive an gular positions. In the present instance a detent ball 40 (Fig. 7) is received in a bore 4| in the b acket 34 a d is urged by a compression spring 42 against the face of a disk 43 rigid with the hub of the knob. A circularly arranged series of recesses 44 in the inner face of the disk are engaged by the ball one after another. Such recesses are spaced at equal angular distances about the rotational axis of the knob as, for example, twelve recesses each thirty degrees apart.

Identical individually engageable couplings are provided between the drive shaft 35 and each of the series of adjusting screws 26 with which it is associated (see Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5). Each of these couplings comprises a drive gear 45 and a companion driven gear 46 of the same number of teeth and pitch diameter disposed side-by-side on the drive shaft. Both the driving and driven gears are shown as spur gears. The drive gears 45 are in each instance fixed to the drive shaft, being integral with sleeves 41 pinned thereto, while the driven gears 46 are loose on the shaft, being integral with sleeves 48 freely journaled on the shaft. The sleeves 41, 48 telescoped on the drive shaft 35 alternate with each other in an end-to-end series restrained against axial movement as a whole with reference to the shaft.

Freely revoluble spur type coupling pinions 49 are provided for coupling the drive gears to their companion driven gears to revolve in unison therewith. Each pinion is broad enough for simultaneous mesh with its associated pair of driving and driven gears and is bodily movable in a direction generally transaxial of the later into and out of mesh with the same.

To swing the coupling pinions 49 into and out of mesh with their associated pairs of gears 45, 45, such pinions are journaled on pins 50 extending transversely across the bifurcated inner ends of levers 5| pivoted at 52 on brackets 53a (Figs. 3 and 4). The pinions are thus located beneath the asociated pairs of gears to swing upward into mesh therewith or downward out of mesh. The opposite or outboard ends 51a of the levers 5| are elongated and serve as armatures coacting with associated operating electromagnets 53. Both the levers 5| and brackets 53a are made of steel or other ferrous metal for completion of the electromagnet flux path through them. Each electromagnet comprises an energizing winding 54 encirling an upright central core 54a which underlies the outboard end of the corresponding lever 5|.

Torsion springs 55 may, if desired, be arrangedto surround the mounting pins 52 for the levers 5| (Figs. 2 and 3) and yieldably urge the latter to tilt in a direction for disengagement of the coupling pinions 49 from their associated gears 45, 4'6 (counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 3). To swing the levers in an opposite (in this case upward) direction for movement of their coupling pinions into gear-engaging position, it is necessary merely to energize the associated electro-- magnet 53, thereby rocking the" levers 5t clockwise from the position indicated in Fig. 3.

To preclude the possibility of any interference between the teeth of the pinions 49 and their associated gears 45, 45 as would preclude proper mesh on approach of the pinions to the gears, pointed teeth are preferably used. In addition,- the addendum of one gear in each pair is desir ably slightly less than that of the other although their pitch diameters are the same.

The energization of each lectromagnet 53 isunder the control of a corresponding one of the selector switches 30 on thepanel 3|. Shifting of each selector switch 35 to its on position connects its associated electromagnet actuating winding 54 across a pair of suitable supply lines Ll, L2 (Fig. 8), whereas restoration of eaclr switch to its off position open-circuits suclt winding. The extra contacts on the switches 35' are used to control a pilot lamp 56 for the bank of switches, such lamp being wired as shown so: that whenever any one or more of an associated group of switches 30 is on the pilot lam'p above the panel (Fig. 6) will be lighted.

The electromagnetically operated coupling ar-- rangement described above is advantageous in a number of respects. For one thing, it will be perceived that it obviates the use of axially shiftable clutch elements as, for example, on the drive shaft 35, both the driving and driven gears on the latter shaft being restrained against end wise movement at all times. The problem of backlash incident to wear of clutch teeth is clingnated since the coupling pinions 49 retain the teeth on the driving and driven gears 45 46 in registry, whenever meshed therewith, even thouglr such teeth may become worn in use. Moreover;- the arrangement is such as to require so little power on the part of the electromagnets 53 in moving the coupling pinions 49- into mesh that simple, low cost relay magnets such as those illustrated may be employed instead of the more powerful solenoids commonly required for operating clutches. A winding drawing 35 milliamperes at 32 volts has be n found adequate for present purposes. Two factors in the arrangement contribute to this low power requirement. First of all, the lever arm about the pivot 52 of the outboard or armature portion of the lever 5| is substantially greater than that of the inboard portion carrying the pinion. Secondly, and of even more importance, the component of the load force on the meshing pinion and gear teeth tending to separate the pinion from the gears is but a small fraction of the load. With conventional 14 teeth on the pinion and gears such component is only approximately oneseventh of the tangentially applied load com-- ponent. Consequently, only a comparatively light pull by the electromagnets 53 is required to retain. the associated pinions in meshing position.

Drive connections firom each of. the driven.

gears 46 to their associated adjusting screws. 2i: are desirably established through. worms; and worm gears 51-; 58? (Figs. 2, 3i, 4' and 5). in the present instance the worms 5;? are fashioned on the sleeves 4'8 of the driven gears 46, whereas the worm gears 53 are impositively coupledto the adjusting screws 26 by friction or slip type con.- nections. Byutili'zing self docking or non-reversible worms and sliptype connections as noted, it is possible to turn the screws 28' individually by hand without rotating the worms and worm gears associated therewith, and it is also possible to arrest positively the rotation of. individual screws by limit stops hereinafter described with out stopping rotation of the worms. In the in-' stant embodiment the slip type connections include collars 5'91 pinned to the intermediate porti'ons of respective screws, the worm gears beingabutted against the upper faces of such collars with the worm gears freely revoluble on the screws. Springs 68 interposed between the upper face of each worm gear and a pair of adjusting nuts 6| threaded on the associated screws press the worm gears into frictional contact with the collars to turn therewith except when a wormv gear is positively held against rotation by its associated worm, or a screw held against fur ther turning by one of its stops hereinafter described. Such springs 60 are made of resilient sheet metal, being centrally apertured for passage of the screw therethrough, and are of cruciformshape with their laterally projecting arms curled downward and inward to bear against the upper faces of the washers 60a resting on the worm gears. This general type of compression spring is particularly advantageous, as compared to a coil spring, in that it has no tendencyto wind up during rotational adjustment of the screw as would a coil spring.

A second leaf type spring 62 (Fig. 2) is located on the opposite or lower side of each of the collars 59 and serves to urge the adjusting screws 26 yieldably upward to prevent play of the screws in the tapped holes 21. These springs 52 eachcomprise a rectangular strip of metal centrally apertured to receive the screw and having downwardly bent ends resting on the face of a pad 53 provided in the housing 23.

Laterally projecting finger grips 6'4 pinned to the upper ends of the adjusting screws perform three different functions. First, they serve as a convenient grip for turning the screws by hand, such manual adjustment being optionally available in lieu of operation from the control stations 28, second, they serve as position signals for the adjusting screws. and, third, they coact with pairs of stop pins 65, 65 to limit positively the range of adjustment for the screws. In the present instance such stop pins 65, 66 are shown (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) as fixed to a cover plate 61 closing the top of the housing 23 and are spaced to limit the rotation of each adjusting screw to les than one full revolution, the permitted range of movement being approximately ninety degrees for each screw in the illustrated arrangement.

The operation of the disclosed drive mechanism will, in general, be clear from the foregoing. By way of brief recapitulation it may be noted that the switches (Fig. 7) are normally all in their off positions. Whenever one is on the pilot lamp is lighted. To adjust a desired one or more of the screws 26 the operator has, only to throw the corresponding switches 30 to their on positions and turn. theknob. 29. Throwing any one of. the switches 30. to its on position, energizes the actuating winding 5.4 associated with the corresponding adjusting screw. Thereupon the companion armature 5lais pulled downward (see Fig. 3) so that thecoupling pinion 49 is swung upward: into. mesh with the associated spur gears 45, 4'5. Consequently when the operating knob 25! is turned to revolve the drive shaft 35, those of. the worms 51 which have been coupled to the latter shaft. through the com panion pair of spur gears 45, 46' and pinion 43, are revolved, thereby turning the associated adjusting screw 25. When. any one of the. adjusting screws26. reaches its limit of travel, its finger piece 54 abuts against the companion stop. pin 55 or 56, as the case may be, thereby holding the screw against further turning. Continued turningof the drive shaft 35, however, is permitted by the slip type. connection to the adjusting screw.

I claim as my invention:

I. In an apparatus for selectively translating the rotary motion of a driving shaft capable of being rotated in opposite directions into displacement of a movable member, the combination comprising a threaded rod in engagement with said movable member and adapted upon axial displacement thereof to move said member, a support providing a threaded bore in which said rod is. threadedly received whereby rotation of the rod in either direction will cause axial dis placement of the latter, a. worm wheel mounted on said rod for rotation in unison therewith, a drive gear secured to said drive shaft, a driven gear rotatably journaled on said drive shaft in close proximity to said drive gear, said drive gear and driven gear having the same number of teeth and the same pitch diameter, a worm meshing with said worm wheel and operatively connected to said driven gear, a lever mounted for tilting movement intermediate its ends about an axisparallel to the axis of said drive shaft and hav ing one portion thereof movable toward and away from the peripheral regions of said gears, a coupling pinion mounted for free rotation on said one portion of the lever and having formed thereon a series of teeth, said pinion being of a width sufiicient to bridge the peripheries of said gears and the teeth thereon being designed for simultaneous meshing engagement with said gears, spring means normally urging said lever in a direction wherein said pinion is maintained out of mesh with said gears, and an electromagnet positioned adjacent another portion of said lever, said other portion of the lever having an armature for the electromagnet and being operable upon energization of the electromagnet to swing said lever in a direction to cause said pinion to engage said gears to couple the latter together in driving relationship.

2. In an apparatus for selectively translating the rotary motion of a driving shaft capable of being rotated in opposite directions into displacement of a movable member, the combination of a threaded rod in engagement with said movable member and adapted upon axial displacement thereof to move said member, a support providing a threaded bore in which said rod is threadedly received whereby rotation of the rod in either direction will cause axial displacement of the latter, a worm wheel mounted on said rod for rotation in unison therewith, a, drive gear secured to said drive shaft, a driven gear rotatably journaled on said drive shaft in close proximity to said drive gear, said drive gear and driven gear 7 having the same number of teeth and the same pitch diameter, a worm meshing with said worm wheel and operatively connected to said driven gear, a lever mounted for tilting movement about an axis parallel to the axis of said drive shaft and having one portion thereof movable toward and away from the peripheral regions of said gears, a coupling pinion mounted for free rotation on said one portion of the lever and having formed thereon a series of teeth, said pinion being of a width sufiicient to bridge the peripheries of said gears and the teeth thereon being designed for simultaneous meshing engagement with said gears, spring means normally urging said lever in a direction wherein said pinion i maintained out of mesh with said gears, and an electromagnet positioned adjacent another portion of said lever, said other portion of the lever having an armature for the electromagnet and being operable upon energization of the electromagnet to swing said lever in a direction to cause said pinion to engage said gears to couple the latter together in driving relationship, the addendum of one of said gears being slightly less than the addendum of the other gear to facilitate initial engagement of the gears by said pinion when said electromagnet is energized.

3. In an apparatus for selectively translating the rotary motion of a driving shaft capable of being rotated in opposite directions into displacement of a movable member, the combination of a threaded rod in engagement with said movable member and adapted upon axial displacement thereof to move said member, a support providing a threaded bore in which said rod is threadedly received whereby rotation of the rod in either direction will cause axial displacement of the latter, a worm wheel mounted for rotation on said rod, a slip connection between said worm wheel and rod, a drive gear secured to said drive shaft, a driven gear rotatably journaled on said drive shaft in close proximity to said drive gear, said drive gear and driven gear having the same number of teeth and the same pitch diameter, a worm meshing with said worm wheel and operatively connected to said driven gear, a lever mounted for tilting movement about an axis parallel to the axis of said drive shaft and having one portion thereof movable toward and away from the peripheral regions of said gears, a coupling pinion mounted for free rotation on said one portion of the lever and having formed thereon a series of teeth, said pinion being of a width suflicient to bridge the peripheries of said gears and the teeth thereon being designed for simultaneous meshing engagement with said gears, spring means normally urging said lever in a direction wherein said pinion is maintained out of mesh with said gears, and an electromagnet positioned adjacent another portion of said lever, said other portion of the lever having an armature for the electromagnet and being operable upon energization of the electromagnet to swing said lever in a direction to cause said pinion to engage said gears to couple the latter together in driving relationship,

4. In an apparatus for selectively translating the rotary motion of a driving shaft capable of being rotated in opposite directions into displacement of a movable member, the combination comprising a threaded rod in engagement with said movable member and adapted upon axial displacement thereof to move said member, a support providing a threaded bore in which said rod is threadedly received whereby rotation of the rod in either direction will cause axial displacement of the latter, a worm wheel mounted for rotation on said rod, a slip connection between said worm wheel and rod, a drive gear secured to said drive shaft, a driven gear rotatably journaled on said drive shaft in close proximity to said drive gear, said drive gear and driven gear having the same number of teeth and the same pitch diameter, a worm meshing with said worm wheel and operatively connected to said driven gear, a lever mounted for tilting movement about an axis parallel to the axis of said drive shaft and having one portion thereof movable toward and away from the peripheral regions of said gears, a coupling pinion mounted for free rotation on said one portion of the lever and having formed thereon a series of teeth, said pinion being of a width sufiicient to bridge the peripheries of said gears and the teeth thereon being designed for simultaneous meshing engagement with said gears, spring means normally urging said lever in a direction wherein said pinion is maintained out of mesh with said gears, and an electromagnet positioned adjacent another portion of said lever, said other portion of the lever having an armature for the electromagnet and being operable upon energization of the electromagnet to swing said lever in a direction to'cause said pinion to engage said gears to couple the latter together in driving relationship, the addendum of one of said gears being slightly les than the addendum of the other gear to facilitate initial engagement of the gears by said pinion when said electromagnet is energized.

EMORY W. WORTHINGTON.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,258,442 Parrott Mar. 5, 1918 1,452,221 Slider Apr. 17, 1923 1,500,687 Taylor July 8, 1924 1,896,099 Quick Feb. 7, 1933 2,131,179 Joy et a1 Sept. 27, 1938 2,243,100 Kennedy May 27, 1941 2,285,414 Collins June 9, 1942 2,344,397 Drexler et al Mar. 4, 1944 2,411,617 Elliott Nov. 26, 1946

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