US2697870A

US2697870A - Piston inserting tool

Info

Publication number: US2697870A
Application number: US163596A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gottlieb F Zucker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-05-23
Filing date: 1950-05-23
Publication date: 1954-12-28
Anticipated expiration: 1971-12-28

Description

DeC- 28, 1954 G. F. zUcKr-:R

PIsToN INSERTING TooL 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 25 1950 Dec. 28, 1954 G, F, ZUCKER 2,697,870

PISTON INSERTING TOOL Filed May 23, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "l I A Il" Tj?! 5@ L mi 71- JNVENTOR.

y I 35 OL/Zade g@ im i4 i@ United States Patent O PISTON INSERTING TOOL Gottlieb F. Zucker, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 23, 1950, Serial No. 163,596

Claims. (Cl. 29-222) This invention relates to tools of the type adapted for use in compressing piston rings to facilitate the insertion of a piston into a cylinder block, such for example as in an engine or a pump.

In certain types of engines, pumps and the like the piston rings may be very thin and consequently hard to handle. Often two or more such rings are spaced in each piston groove thus making it still more difficult to handle the rings. Such rings are, as is generally customary with nearly all piston rings, rotated relative to one another so that the gaps are not aligned and hence there is less tendency for the sharp edges of the rings adjacent the gaps to wear a groove in the cylinder wall and to allow fluid to escape through the gaps. Due to the nonalignment of the gaps, it is necessary to apply uniform radial pressure to the rings properly to seat them in the piston grooves.

An object of this invention is the provision of a piston ring compressing tool for use with pistons of dierent sizes and having a continuous arcuate body section with a plurality of converging tines depending therefrom with the body section and tines being integral and of uniform thickness, there being means for adjusting the convergence of the tines to yaccommodate pistons of variant sizes.

A further object of this invention is a piston ring compressing tool having a continuous arcuate body portion and a plurality of converging lingers or tines depending therefrom, and a band of adjustable circumference encircling said tines and supported by struck-out portions on certain of said tines to vary the convergence of said tines and thus accommodate pistons of a plurality of different sizes.

In many engines, pumps and the like the top surface of the cylinder block adjacent each cylinder is uniform and at. In such cases the tines of my piston ring compressing tool as set forth in the foregoing objects are of unit form length and the tool is readily placed upright on the top of the cylinder block in axial alignment with a cylinder to insert a piston.

In other types of engines the top of the cylinder block is recessed adjacent a portion of the circumference of each cylinder to provide inlet or exhaust ports. In such case if the tines are of uniform length some of them are maintained above the recessed portion of the cylinder block and each piston ring is released before it is completely inserted in the cylinder. Additionaly, it is diillcult to position the tool properly in upright position in axial alignment with the cylinder. For engines, pumps and the like of this character it is within the contemplation of my invention that certain of the tines should be longer than the majority to llt within a recess or additional tines should be provided and means should be provided to lock the tines in position with their extremities projecting be yond the extremities of the other tines.

An object of this invention is the provision of a piston insertion tool having a body portion and a plurality of relatively converging tines depending therefrom wherein certain of the tines are of greater length than others to permit positioning of the tool atop a recessed cylinder block and gripping of piston rings until they enter the cylinder.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a piston ring insertion tool having a body portion and a plurality of spaced apart tines depending therefrom wherein longitudinally adjustable auxiliary tines are received in the spaces between certain of the aforementioned tines and means is provided for locking the auxiliary tines ini4 2,697,870 Patented Dec. 28, 1954 longitudinally adjusted position extending beyond the lirst mentioned tines whereby the tool may be placed atop a cylinder block having a recessed portion adjacent a cylinder to exert a compressing action on piston rings until each ring is inserted in the cylinder. Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective View showing my piston insertion tool prior to insertion of the piston;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same apparatus showing a piston being inserted;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the bottom portion of a tine showing the struckout detent for supporting the adjusting clamping ring;

Fig. 6 shows a tube to be used in manufacturing my piston insertion tool;

Fig. 7 indicates how'the tube may be formed;

Fig. 8 shows how a set is imparted to the tines by the insertion of a conical mandrel;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a modied tool wherein three of the depending tines are longer than the others;

Fig. l0 is a partial axial sectional view of the modified tool in position atop the cylinder block;

Fig. ll is a perspective view showing the first form of the piston insertion tool with auxiliary tines locked in position and depending therefrom; and

Fig. l2 is a fragmentary axial sectional view of the tool of Fig. ll shown in position atop a cylinder block.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figs. l-4, the first embodiment Vof my piston insertion tool 14 comprises a central continuous cylindrical body portion 16 having a plurality of diverging, spaced apart upstanding tines 18 integral with and extending upwardly therefrom. A plurality of spaced apart tines 2l) are integral with the body portion 16 and dependent therefrom. The tines 20 are pressed or preset to diverge slightly and are brought into parallel or converging relation by aband 22 of variable circumference encircling them. This band, as best seen in Fig. 3, has an outwardly directed ear 24 at one end thereof. The outermost portion 26 of the ear 24 is deflected rearwardly for a purpose soon to be described. The second end of the band 22 underlies and is overlapped by the portion of the band immediately adjacent the ear 24 and a portion of the band is directed outwardly and then again inwardlynear the second end to form an ear 28 spaced from the ear 24. Aligned aper tures are provided in the

ears

24 and 28 and a threaded bolt 30 is placed through these apertures and has a square nut 32 threaded on the end thereof. The reversely bent portion 26 at the extremity of the ear 24 prevents rotation of the nut 32. As the bolt 30 is threaded further into the nut 32, the ears 24 andv 28 are drawn toward one another to provide a radially uniform clamping force on the tines 20 directing them into parallel or converging relation.

When the bolt is backed part way from the nut so that the ring 22 ts loosely about the tines 20, the ring is prevented vfrom slipping from the tines by a plurality of struck-out detents 34. In the illustrated embodiment there are a plurality of depending tines 20 and sections are deflected from the plane of certain of these tines in spaced relation near the bottom thereof to form the detents 34 extending outwardly` and then upwardly from the tines 20. The top edges of the detents underlie and engage the bottom edge of the ring 22 to support it.

In Fig. l the piston insertion tool 14 is shown spaced above a conventional cylinder 36 in a cylinder block 38 while in Fig. 2 the tool is shown abutting the block in axial alignment with the cylinder 36. A piston 40 of any approved construction has a plurality of grooves 42 in which are placed piston rings 44. As best may be seen in Fig. l the rings are rotated relative to one another so that the gaps in the rings are not aligned. As shown in Fig. *1J* the rings extend outwardly somewhat from the walls of the piston 40 and must be forced inwardly to fit within the cylinder 36. As the piston is forced downwardly through the piston insertion tool 14 the tines 1 8,

which 'ar'e somewhat resilient but rather stii, force the lrings 44 fur-ther -into vthe grooves 42 -so that the loutside -nally preset so. as y-to diverge slightly. The circumference :of the band 22 is decreased -by threading xthe bolt 3) :further linto `the lnut V32- ya's mentioned heretofore to draw the t-ines y yinto parallel or converging relation :so that the circular area defined by 'the 'bottom Iof the tines 210 -coincides exactly with the top of 'the cylinder -36 as shown `in Figs. 21and 4. Thus as -a piston 40 is forced ydownwardly the toolg14f-the vringsare progressively compressed into the grooves 42 until each lringreaches the bottom of the tool at which -poi-n't its external diameter coincides with the internaldiameter of the cylinder 36 and the '-ring slides smoothly into the cylinder. As may be seen in yFig. 2, ythe Lsquare bottom ends yon the Vtines -2'0 fit iiush against the top of the cylinder block 38 so Ethat each ring i4-'is gripped by the tines -until -it is-completely Within the cylinder 36.

Although a single piston ring insertion tool as lherein disclosed is vcapable of vuse with ypistons of several dif- 'ferent sizes, pistons vary sufficiently in size that it is impossible to -use a single tool for all pistons. Thus the diameters of pistonring tools must vary vover a considerable range. This makes it 'necessary to vary the number or width of lthe tines or the spacing between them. Unless a very large number of piston -insertion tools -of agiven-size are to be produced, gl prefer Vnot to lstamp out my tool from a single iiat blank, but to form vthe tines individually as set forth immediately hereinafter.

The blank which is to be `operated on is inthe 'form of a tube 46 which is cut finto sections Ias Vindicated 4by the dotted lines 48. The t-ub'e 46l may bea length of commercial tubing, preferably ofV the `seamless type, or ymay be formedfrom a iiat 'metal sheet 5G (-Fig. l7) rolled into a cylinder 52 as lindicated in dotted lines and vbutt welded along adjoining edges. The tube or cylinder is then cut'to the `overall length desired'for a piston insertion tool 14 and the `tines 18 yand 20 are formed one at a vtime by the use of a single punch to stamp out successive vvslots between the tines.

The several 'lugs or detents 34 forfho'ld-ing-the adjusting ring or band 22 are then stamped `from the T tines 2i) by successive operations with a single punch.

Following the `forming of the tines -and of the band securing de'tents, the upper tines are bent outwardly into diverging relation byrpressing Vthe upper end of the tool onto a Iconical --mandrel 54 as shown in Fig. 8. AThe piston insertion tool is `then case hardened to prevent unwanted deformation `in use and to provide a working surface which, will notquickly `be worn out. The case hardeningtends to Vdistort the piston insertion too1,par

ticularly Ythe longer lower tines, which then must be In the hammering operastraightening by hammering. tion the lower tines are caused to are slightly outwardly so that theymay beten'sion'ed -int'o'parallel or converging relation as 'desired by theband 22. The entire internal bore of the tool 'then is machined to make it 'absolutely 'true and 'to size, leaving 'the body portions and tines of uniform thickness.

In Figs. 9 and l0 there is shown a modiiied'fo'rm of the invention for use with cylinder blocks having a recessed portion. In thisform vof the invention the body portion 1.6, upward tines 18, certain of the lower tines 20 and the adjusting band or ring -22 ofthe modified piston insertion tool 14a are identical with those heretofore disclosed and are similarly numbered. The essential differen'ce resides in a plurality of tines 20a, herein illustrated as three tines, which extend a predetermined distance below the remainingtines 20. As in the previous-formof the inventionthe tines 20 rest atop la cylinder -block-38 `and are ldrawn in by the `ring 22 to have v"fthesarrie internal diamet'eras-that of ya cylinder 36. The

-elongated 'tines `2G51 iit within a recess 56 i'n the upper lface"o"r`the cylinder block vw'contiguous with the cylinder`36, 'the recess-56 being provided as an inl'etforpassageWay. *As maybe seenin Fig. 10, the lower'squared ends ofthe elongated Ttines 20a iit flush againstthe top face of the recess in thesarnel'ma'n'ner that the tines 2i) -dra'vvn in `to have the same internal diameter as -the 22. iDete'nts 334 `'similar to those heretofore 'described 4gressively compressed in a desired manner.

4 are struck out of certain of the

tines

20 and 20a to support the adjusting -band or ring 22.

It is not necessary to have a special piston insertion tool as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 for cylinder blocks having recesses. A form of my invention for use with this type of cylinder block is shown in Figs. 1l and l2 wherein the piston insertion tool 14 is identical with that originally described having a 'central cylindrical body portion 16, upstanding slightly diverging ytines 18, depending tines 20 andan `adjusting =band or ring 22 supported by detents 34. vTo fit within the .recess 56 of the cylinder block 30a and abut `against -its top face, there is provided a plurality ,of auxiliary tines 58 of suitable width to iit between adjacent tines 20. The auxiliary tines 5S are offset outwardly fat yto provide rupper shank portions 62 lying flush against the outer surface of the cylindrical body portion 16. The upper ends of the auxiliary tines are bent outwardly to form handles 64 by which they Amay be raised or lowered. A clamping ring or band 66 similar in construction to the band 22 ypreviously disclosed is Iprovided Vfor encircling 'thec-ylindrical ybody porembodiment, litwithin the recess l56 and 'iiush against its face so that piston lrings maybe compressed to have the sarne `external diameter as the .internal diameter of the cylinder 36 until yeach ring is entirely within the cylinder.

The'converginglrelation of the upper tines `18 moving from theirfreeends towards 'the body section along with their slight resiliency Yenables the piston ring insertion tool Iherein disclosed to accommodate pistons of variant sizes while insuring `that the piston -rings will be pro- 'Final adjustment of the rings vto the exact diameter of lthe cylinder in which they are Abeing inserted is'brought about by the vlowertines 20 forced into Vthe proper diameter by the adjusting band or 'ring '22. Due tothe slight outward liar-ing ofthe lower tines, theband 22 is tight about them even when the 'tines are held parallel defining a cylinder similar to that defined bythe central body portion 16 so that the band `22 cannot move accidentally 'from its de- 'siredposition andthe tines cannot spring outwardly to al'low'the piston rings to assume improper diameters.

it is'obvious that `various changes maybe made in the specific embodiments set 'forth herein without departing from the'spirit and scope o'f the invention.k The invention is accordingly not to belimited to these specific embodiments, Vbut 'only Vas indicated in the "following claims.

'i claim:

l. A tool to Ifacilitate insertion of .a piston carrying rings orthe'like into a cylinder, and comprising a sleeve member having a iixed predetermined-diameter adapted to embrace the Ypiston and asso'ciatedrings, a plurality of elongatedresilient nge'rs projecting in a `generally axial directionfrorn one end of the sleeve and initially preset 'to 'normally 'flare outwardly from the periphery of said sleexe member, aclamping'band'spacedfrom said sleeve member -and embracingsaid resilient fingers adjacent the 'free ends thereof Sfor uniformly pressingsaid fingers inwardly 'under/compression to operative position where said'fing'ers deiinean internal diameternot'exceeding the 'diameter of said sleeve member, adjusting'means securing fingers areiitted'in the spaces Vformed between ,adjacent of said rst named lingers for selective vertical adjustment, -and -wherein clamping vmeans is fengageable with said radditional -fing'ers `to maintain the same in adjusted position.

`'4. ltoolas-claimedin' claim S, wherein saidfadditional :fingershave'the'upperportions thereofv offset outwardlyfto 'overlie said sleeve member, and wherein thesaid` clamping means engages the oiset portions of the lingers to clamp the same against said sleeve member.

5. A tool as claimed is claim 4, wherein the offset upper portions of the additional ngers are provided with outwardly projecting handle members to facilitate adjustment thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number (5 Name Date McManus Dec. 6, 1910 Monckmeier Feb. 8, 1921 Cady Aug. 8, 1922 Gillis July 7, 1925 Grimes Aug. 4, 1925 Kearney Peb. 9, 1926 Phelps July 20, 1926 Brown Dec. 27, 1927 Cunliff Jan. 10, 1928 Weatherhead Aug. 13, 1940 Maire Jan. 4, 1944