US2624441A

US2624441A - Reciprocating feed device

Info

Publication number: US2624441A
Application number: US712555A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gapstur John Joseph
Original assignee: Thompson Products Inc
Current assignee: Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems Corp
Priority date: 1946-11-27
Filing date: 1946-11-27
Publication date: 1953-01-06
Anticipated expiration: 1970-01-06

Description

Jan. 6, 1953 J. J. GAPSTUR 2,624,441

RECIPROCATING FEED DEVICE Filed Nov. 27. 1946 2 SHEETS SlfEET 1 fJ'H EHTUP Jon/v Joan Gnps run Jari. 6, 1953 a. J. GAPSTUR RECIPROCATING FEED DEVICE 2 Sl-IEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Nov. 27, 1946 m NM 14% R \m Em w Wm M Pi $11 R Q a Patented Jan. 6, 1953 RECIPROCATING FEED DEVICE John Joseph Gapstur, Euclid, Ohio, assignor to Thompson Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application November 27, 1946, Serial No. 712,555

' 3 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for supplying blanks to a machine in timed relation with the operation of the machine.

Specifically, the invention deals with apparatus for feeding heated metal slugs to a forging die press.

According to this invention, metal slugs are dumped in hodge-podge relation in a receiving bin, and are automatically fed in end-to-end relation from this bin through a heating tunnel. The heated slugs then fall at timed intervals from the tunnel into a reciprocating carriage which intermittently feeds the slugs into the die recess of a forging die press. The plunger of the die press controls operation of the carriage, so that a slug is only fed to the die recess when the press is opened, and so that the carriage is always retracted out of the path of the plunger before the press closes. The feeding of the slugs through the heating tunnel is effected in timed relation with the speed of operation of the press, so that only one slug will be fed to the carriage after each feeding movement of the carriage.

A feature of the invention is the provision of quick-acting control devices and actuators for the carriage, so that the press can be opera-ted at high speeds.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a lubricant feeder for the die recess which operates in timed relation to the movement of the feeder carriage.

It is an object of the invention to provide an automatic feed system for presses, to replace heretofore-necessary manual feeding.

A further object of the invention is to provide a forging die press with an' automatic feeder capable of supplying heated slugs in proper timed relation to the speed of operation of the press.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which will successively feed heated blanks to a forging diewithout manual aid.

Another object of the invention is to provide a forging die press with a quick-acting feeder carriage that is controlled by the press plunger, sothat it is always retracted out of the path of the plunger beforethe press starts to close.

Other'and further objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheets .of drawings which, by way of a preferred example only, illustrate one embodiment of the invention.

Qn the drawings:

Figure l is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevational view of a feeder apparatus for a forging die press, and illustrating parts of the press.

Figure 1A is a plan view of a portion of the feeder apparatus.

Figure 1B is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, of plunger support structure in the feeder apparatus.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view of a portion of the apparatus of Figure l, and showing the positions of the parts when the press is closed.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but illustrating the positions of the parts when the press is fully opened. Y

Figure 4 is 'a fragmentary isometric view of the slug-receiving end of the feeder carriage.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figure l, the reference numeral It designates generally a forging die press having a vertically movable plunger H and a stationary bed 12. The bed l2 carries a die block [3 with a flat horizontal top face l3a and a die recess I3b extending downwardly from said face and receiving removable dies l4 therein. The plunger H has a nose section Ila adapted to fit in the dies M for acting on a slug S deposited in the dies.

A bin ill for receiving slugs S in hodge-podge relationship is provided adjacent the press I0, and is mounted on a supporting frame It to be disposed at a level abovethe top face l3a ofthe block l3. A vane 11 is fixed to an arm 24 which is pivoted about -I 8. The vane I! extends through a slot in the bottom of the bin l5 and is movable between a raised position, shown in Figure 1, and a retracted position at the bottom of the-bin. The top of the vane has a V-shaped trough l'la therein sized for receiving cylindrical pieces of the diameter of the slugs S only in end to end relationship," as shown in Figure 1. If the slugs fall crosswise of the trough Ila, or are in cocked relationship to the length of the trough, they will roll out of the trough back into the bin l5 when the'vane is raised to position the slugs at levels above the'top of the pile of slugs in the bin. The vane feeds the slugs to a stationary chute l9 communicating-with the forward lower end'of the trough Ila in its raised position of Figure 1 and projectingforwardly from the bin toa transversely extending inclinedramp 20. The slugs roll down this ramp in sideby side relationship to a stop at the bottom of the ramp, and a plunger 2| then pushes the slugs in end to end relationship through a tray 22 into a heating tunnel 23. The heating tunnel has a track therethrough to maintain the slugs in their end to end relationship.

Referring to Figure 1b, the plunger 2| is slidable in a sleeve-like embossment 22a of the tray 22 and has an enlarged head at the right end thereof with a coiled compression spring 2 la disposed between the head and the embossment 22a to urge the plunger 2| to the right and out of the path of slugs rolling from the ramp 20 into the tray 22.

The plunger 2| is aligned with and intermit-e tently operated by the arm 24 acting as. a pusher plate which is fixed to a portion or vane |T-- and pivoted on the pivot l3. The pusher 24 reciprocates with the vane I! and moves away from the plunger 2| each time the vane is raised. The operation is such that the ramp 23 is filled with slugs in side by side relationship by the vane H, which lifts the slugs at a steep enough angle in the trough Ila so that they will slide through the hu e 9 hd su ess ve y res lved htheupp r nd, o he am never he, un e 2| i retracted, to permit a new slug to'itoll into the bottom of the ramp. Thus-the slug at the bottom of the ramp 20 is pushed out of ther amp into the tray 22 when the pusher 24 engages the. plunger 2| to move it forwardly and, in this positionof the pusher 24, the vane I1 is at the bottom-of the bin, to receive slugsin its trough Ila. Then the vane is raised and the pusher 24 is moved away from the plunger 2|, allowing the plunger to resume its retracted position out of therampZU, for allowing the next slugto roll into the bottom of the ramp, thereby advancing all the slugs in the ramp, and making room for a new slug i .f m h 1 1 '1 The ushe 47 nd-V are operated by a link; 25 from a bell crank 26 which is pivoted at 21 on the bin I 5, andhas its other arm raised and lowered by a rod 28;. The rod- 28- is driven by, a crank 29 from an electric motor 36- operating through a gear reduction in a gear box- 3| to rotate a driveshaft 32? on which the crank 29 1s secured.

An inclined ramp 33 receives slugs S succession from the discharge endoi the hea'tingtunnel 23 and feeds the slugs by gravity to the upper end of a chute. '34. This chute has a vertical leg 34a terminating above and adjacent one side of the top 13; of the block 13, This leg 34a is-out-of the p h o 'mo em htot he pmhserflli" l A ans er r n ot atev erate o e the t p 734, o the, bloo s, 1.3 and; under thel' .4a of th hute- This ca r age-" as begshow ure h s o en-end d sluge th ront nd thereoihounded his a el 5a h ls d We l 35115 Theh e hber iii en n t oh y t o and. ot om asserts also at the front end thereof exoept for a shear ar 3 h h s re leoe h yseated lo s 35 he. pper, i r erd ends o h de: was b n oehsthe QP h; o the w oi he ohemloeh he l l r om i pin ih o the ohehil er l dl a will be h reihefierhme full descri e erm t r hq o the. arr a e as soon as a S u beginsto p ou of he ot om orhe eh b r so an clears; the bottom edge of the bar; The bar is eie ab re lace e that in h event of is e iretraotion, o he ca ia assure th or... o e, un e o when the pre loses it i be the o l port n of the carria engag y he lun er nos and. i dama ed) is e si r air d r r a ed-- Th carria e 3.5. ha the end thereof remote from the chamber 36 dennuig end secured to a pisto rod 3i) Of pneumatic jack 45. The jack has a piston 4| on the end of the rod 39 slidable between the ends of the cylinder 42 thereof.

Tubes

43 and 44 supply compressed air to opposite sides of the piston 4| in the cylinder 42, thereby reciprocating the piston and shifting the carriage between the positions shown in Figures 2 and 3. An air valve 45 selectively controls flow from a compressed air pipe 46 to either of the

tubes

43 and 44. The valve 45 is operated by solenoids 41 and 43 which shift the valve lever 45a between a position for connecting the tube 43 with the atmosphere and the tube 44 with the compressed air pipe 4 3, to a position, for connecting the tube 44 with the atmosphere and the tube 43 with the pipe 46.

A lever 49 is pivotally mounted on a support 50 under the carriage 35 and is adapted to be tripped by an extension 5| on the side of the carriage for pushin a rod 52 against the control plunger of a switch 53. This switch 53 is energ-ized and is connected by a wire 54 with the soleno lhe o r sol noid .7 is c n ct through a wire 55 with an energized switch 55 having its operating plunger actuated by lobes 51a on a rotatably mounted cam 51. The cam 5'! has pins 51b lying in the path of an arm 58 which is pivoted at-59. on the plunger l I As shown in Figure 1, the cam plate 51 overlies a face of the plunger H and the arm 58 is spaced from this face of the plunger to overlie the cam plate and have one end, thereof move in a plane traversed by the pins 57b. A stop is secured on this same ac f e plunger t0- QYerl t e othe end of the arm 58. This construction is such that downward movement of the plunger will merely bring a beveled edge 58a of the arm 53 against a pin 51b to tilt the arm without rotating the cam plate 51. However, upward movement of the plunger I I will bring the top of the arm 58against a pin 51b and, since the abutment 6|! will prevent the arm from tilting downwardly, continued upward movement will rotate the plate 51. The four pins are positioned in equally spaced relationship around the forward face of the plate, as shown, and therefore each upward stroke of the plunger will effect 90 of rotation of the plate. Since the plate only has two diametrically 0pposed cam lobes 51a, and since the plu er only m s h l t 0 n each u wa d t e, it follows that the switch 55 will only be closed once by the cam lobes for each two strokes of the plunger. When the switch 55 is closed, the solehold 41 is energized to position the air valve 45 as shown in Figures l and 2, thereby admitting air to the. tube 43 to force thepiston to the position shown in Figure3, This moves the carriage over the block l3 to shift its chamber-defining end from slug-receiving position under the chute 34, to slug-dumpin position over the die recess I3b.

hen s sho hsF s e 3, the t ansfe ar g s thevohomb rifi 'ihi eoi w th the d e s eoes he s S, immed a y dro y. av t n o, the dies [4 and shortly thereafter the abutment 5| trips the lever 49 for closing the switch 53 there by energizing the solenoid 48 and changing the setting of the valve 4.5 to admit air to the tube 44 under the rod side of the piston 4| to retract the carriage 35 out of the. path of the plunger II.

It, will e. note t at the, lobes, 5 oh he o Plate 5 e offset per he all fr m. t e i 511) so thatthe switch 56 will only be temporarily closed by a cam lobe 51a as this lobe moves past the s tch. du ing h t m he P at 51 is being rotated by the arm 58. This momentary. closing of the switch, however. is sufiicient to set the valve in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 and effect a quick shifting ofthe carriage 35 to the position shown in Figure 3. Before the switch 53 is closed by the tripping of the lever 49, the

switch 56 is again opened to de-energize the sole-.

noid 48. Conversely, the tripped lever 49 resumes its initial position to permit the switch 53 to open as soon as the carriage 35 starts back to its retracted position and the abutment moves out of engagement with .the lever. [In this manner, only one solenoid 41 or 48 for the valve 45 is energized at any one time.

Since, as explained above, the plunger I] must drive two pins 51b for each closing of the switch 56 by a cam lobe 51a, the carriage 35 is only moved into the position shown in Figure 3 on every second stroke of the press, thereby permitting an operator to remove a formed member from the dies l4. course, that the timing of the carriage relative to the operation of the press can be varied at will by change of the cam arrangement.

The cam lobes 51a also close a second switch 6| for energizing a timer switch 62 which alternately energizes solenoids 63 and 64 of a second air valve 65. Compressed air from a feed pipe 66 is intermittently fed through a tube 61 by the valve 65 into a closed pressure tank 68 containing lubricant L. A tube 69 communicates with the lubricant in the tank '68 and with the die recess |3b to supply lubricant to the die whenever the valve 65 is opened to admit air pressure into the tank for ejecting the lubricant through the tube 69. This air valve 65 is shifted between open and closed positions by the two solenoids 63 and 64 and remains opened for a predetermined period of time, controlled by the timer switch 62 after this switch has been energized by the switch 6|. Thus, when the timer switch is first energized by the switch 6|, the valve 65 is opened by energization of the solenoid 64 and remains opened until the timer switch energizes the solenoid 63 after an elapsed time period.

The speed of the motor 30 is regulated relative to the speed of the forging die press In to actuate the pusher 24 only at such periods when the carriage 35 is being retracted to its slug-receiving position after it has deposited a slug in the die. The plunger 2| thereupon advances the next slug into the tray 22, and all of the slugs ahead of this advancing slug, in turn, coact to push the end slug at the discharge end of the heating tunnel 23 into the ramp 33. The slug thereupon slides down the ramp into the chute 34 and out of the vertical leg 34a of the chute into the chamber 36 behind the shear bar 38. The bottom of the chamber 36 is at least partially closed by the support 56 so that the slug cannot drop through the chamber. The heating tunnel 23 can conveniently take the form of an induction furnace, and is regulated so that it will heat the slugs S to forging temperature during the time interval they remain in the tunnel.

From the above descriptions it will be understood that this invention provides an automatic feeder capable of receiving slugs in hedge-podge fashion, and feeding them in succession in properly timed relationship to a forging die press, thereby obviating the necessity for heretoforerequired manual feeding. The automatic feed device of this invention makes possible high speed operation of forging die presses and the like, prevents overheating of the slugs to be forged, and maintains steady output for the press.

It should be appreciated, of

It will, ofcourse, be understood thatlvarious details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise then necessitated by the scope of the appended claims. I

I claim as my invention;-

1. A device for successively feeding slugs at desired intervals and in identical positions from a source of slugs in hodge podge relation which comprises a bin having a slot in the bottom thereof, a vane in said slotpivotally mounted at the front end of said bin for swinging from a retracted position in the bottom of the bin to a raised inclined position, said vane having a top edge with a trough therein'sized for receiving from said bin slugs in longitudinal end to end relation only and adapted to discharge back to the bin any slugs raised thereby above the level of slugs in the bin which are not in said longitudinal end to end relation, a stationary inclined chute at the forward lower end of the vane to receive slugs from said trough, a tranversely extending inclined ramp receiving slugs from said chute in side by side relation, a stop at the lower end of said ram in laterally spaced relation from said chute, a plunger movable against that slug in said inclined ramp which is bottomed on said stop to push the slug forwardly from the ramp, a pusher plate pivoted coaxially with said vane and reciprocating therewith for engaging said plunger, a bell crank pivoted on the bin, a link joining one arm of the bell crank with the pusher plate, a rod connected to the other arm of the bell crank, a gear reduction unit having an input shaft and an output shaft, a crank on said output shaft connected to said rod for reciprocating said rod, and an electric motor coupled to said input shaft for driving said unit, whereby reciprocation of said rod by said crank will rock the bell crank to reciprocate the vane and pusher plate for respectively feeding slugs in end to end relation to said chute and for advancing slugs forwardly out of the lower end of the ramp.

2. A device for successively feeding slugs at desired intervals and in identical positions from a source of slugs in hodge podge relation which comprises a bin having a slot in the bottom thereof, a vane in said slot pivotally mounted at the front end of said bin for swinging from a, retracted position in the bottom of the bin to a raised inclined position, a trough in the upper edge of said vane adapted to receive slugs in longitudinal end to end relation from said bin and slide said slugs forwardly when in raised position, a transversely extending inclined ramp communicating with the forward lower end of said vane trough to receive slugs therefrom, said ramp having a. stop at the lower end thereof and bein arranged to advance the slugs in side by side relation for successive deposit against said stop, a plunger movable against the end of a slug bottomed on said stop to push the slug forwardly out of the path of the other slugs in the ramp, and means for reciprocating said plunger and for raising and lowering said vane between slu receiving and slug-discharging positions in said bin, whereby slugs will be successively fed in end to end relation out of the front end of the bin and will advance laterally in side by side relation to the lower end of the ramp to be successively discharged forwardly out of the lower end of the ramp by said plunger.

3- A11 eu ematie leader for pr se /and, the li whie some. .;e.h n ,e. blad n sei i a i a trpngn alqng the upper. edge thereof for rece yin .111555. frq ll the bin longitudinal end to nd xe tiqmm eiis for rai ng a d lowering h bladeto position the trough at a slug-receiving level and at a slug-discharging incline to slide slugs in end to end relation out of the forward end of the bin, a transversely inclined ramp communieating with the forward end of the trough and a. reciprocating plunger at the lower end of said-rampior advancing slugs therefrom, whereby slugs will move down the ramp in side by side relationship and will be successively ejected from the lower end of the ram-p, cam means for operating said plunger and means operably connecting said cam means and said blade for operation of-said-plunger and said blade in timed relation.

JOHN JGSEPH GAPSTUR.

REF BE E C T TllQfQHQWing references are. of record in t e file of this paten UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 133,066 Stetson Nov. 12, 1872 821,946 Marshall May 29, 1906 915,542 Biertuempfel I Mar. 16, 1909 1,252,562 Fassinger Jan. 8, 1918 1,311,599 Bingham July 29, 1919 1,336,171 Trace Apr. 6, 1920 2,327,849 7 Wolfe Aug. 24, 1943 2,347,875 Bratz May 2, 194:}1v