US2803456A

US2803456A - Slide feed with toggle actuated gripper

Info

Publication number: US2803456A
Application number: US541221A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter P Powers
Original assignee: Todd C
Current assignee: C TODD
Priority date: 1955-10-18
Filing date: 1955-10-18
Publication date: 1957-08-20
Anticipated expiration: 1974-08-20

Description

Aug. 20, 1957 w. P. POWERS SLIDE FEED WITH TOGGLE ACTUATED GRIPPER Filed Oct. 18, 1955 7 Sheets-Shem. l

'Aug. 20, 1957 w. PO WERS 2,803,456

SLIDE FEED WITH TOGGLE ACTUATED GRIPPER Filed Oct. 18.1955

'7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 20, 1957 w. P." POWERS SLIDE FEED mm 'roccuz ACTUATED GRIPPER' Filed Oct 18.. 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 MM x 1 w. P. POWERS SLIDE FEED WITH TOGGLE; ACTUATED GRIPPER Filed m.- 18, 1955 -Aug. 20, 1957 7 Sheets-$11961. 4

v J m. ,M. 7 \\NW.. 7 g \V w mm m mau n I: m R my 7 u Q A 5 i I" 1 RN u fi, J Q Q5 .4 h v ah QM N w m wk Aug. 20, 1957 w. P. POWE'RS SLIDE FEED WITH 'roccuz ACTUATED GRIPPER Filed on. 18, 1955 '7 Shee ts-S'heet 5 Aug. 20, 1957 w. P. POWERS suns FEED WITH TOGGLE ACTUATED GRIPPER Filed on. 18,1955

7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVEN TOR. 44 61 7:51? Pfan 'fis' M' M- fiTTUP/VEY Aug. 20, 195'? w. P. POWERS suns FEED WITH TOGGLEI ACTUATED GRIPPER Filed on. 18, less '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 6 4 w/ w H A y w 1 i Q j w M 6 ,0 a WM I W INVENTOR. 46%; 75/? PfiWEfiS assasse srma FEED wrria TQGGLE ACTUATED GRIPPER Waiter P. ?owers, prh1g Lake, N. 3., assignor to C. Todd, Rutherford, N. 3., as trustee Application October 18, 1955, Serial No. 541,221

8 (Claims. (Cl. 271-25) The invention herein disclosed relates to slide feeds.

Objects of the invention are to accomplish accurate, uniform feed of stock; to efiect firm, positive gripping of the stock without indenting or marring the same; to check the stock against retrograde movement and to hold the stock under full control at all times.

These and other desirable results are attained by employment of a toggle actuated form of gripper and by corelating this with the stock check so that at the end of the feed stroke the stock check takes hold when or before the gripper lets go and so that at the end of the recovery stroke the gripper takes hold when or before the check releases its hold on the stock.

This timing of gripper and check is effected by employing a toggle for shifting the slide block which carries the gripper and operating it to substantially fully straightened condition and possibly slightly beyond dead-center, providing a slight dwell or time interval in which the slide block is at rest for effecting the correlated opening and closing actions of gripper and check.

Another important feature of the invention is the choice of operating the slide feed either with or without a pilot. In a preferred form the mechanism may include a special cam which when a pilot is employed, may be set to permit momentary release of the stock While the piloting step is being effected.

Other important features of the invention and desirable results attained with the invention are set forth and will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate a present commercial embodiment of the invention. Structure, however, may be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention.

Fig. 1 in the drawings is a broken front elevation of the slide feed with parts appearing as at the end of the forward feed stroke up against the front stop, the toggle actuating the slide block shown as having reached substantially straightened position, the toggle for the gripper shown in the straightened, gripper-closed position and the check open, clear of the stock;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the feed toggle advanced slightly past dead-center to break the gripper toggle and to lift the check closing lever, the slide block then at rest against the front stop with gripper released from and check closed on the stock;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the feed toggle started on the return stroke and having passed back over deadcenter sufiiciently to rock the support for the check closing lever into position for holding the check closed during the recovery stroke, just starting, of the slide block;

Fig. 4 is a broken front view showing parts at the end of the return stroke with the block up against the back stop, with gripper open and check closed on the stock;

Fig. 5 is a like view showing how with slight further backward movement, compressing a recovery spring, the feed toggle straightens the gripper toggle to close the hired stats Patent "ice gripper on the stock while the check is still closed on the' stock and the block is stationary against the back stop;

Fig. 6 is a like view showing the feed toggle started on the forward feed stroke with straightening pressure on the gripper toggle released and the check closing lever dropped to open the check;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the slide block and stockcheck;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view on substantially the plane of line 8-8 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a modified form of the invention, in which adjustment for thickness of stock is effected at the bottom instead of at the top of the slide blGCii as first shown.

In the several views the slide block is indicated at 15, riding on guide rods 16 between front and back stops 17, 18 and reciprocated in opposite directions by a toggle made up of

levers

19, 20 pivoted together at their meeting ends at 21, the first lever being the lower arm of a bell crank fulcrumed at 22 and having an upper arm 23 usually connected by a link 24 with an operating crank or eccentric on the press or other machine with which the slide feed is used, the other lever 20, consisting of parallel links carrying at the free end a cross-pin 25 extending through a slot or oversize opening 26 in the block.

A special feature of this oscillating toggle, as in the companion copending applications Serial No. 442,699, filed July 12, 1954, now Patent No. 2,721,649, October 25, 1955, Serial No. 506,141, filed May 5, 1955 and Serial No. 541,253, filed October 18, 1955, is that it is designed, as shown, to complete the feed stroke substantially as it reaches the straightened condition and thus to allow for a certain limited amount of motion or overthrow past or in the region of dead-center which can be utilized to effect a desirable coordination of stock gripper and stock check while the block is at rest against the stop.

The feed gripper is shown as a plunger 27 operating in a vertical guideway 28 in the top of the block in cooperative gripping relation to the anvil or bottom plate 29.

This gripper plunger is operated by a toggle made up of upper parallel toggle links 30 pivoted at their upper ends on the block at 31 .and pivoted at their lower ends at 32 to the upper end of a toggle link 33 pivoted to the plunger by a cross-pin 34.

This gripper toggle is arranged in the straightened or slightly past dead-center position shown in Fig. l, to hold the plunger in gripping engagement with the stock 35 and in the broken position, Fig. 2, to fully release the stock.

A coil spring is shown at 36 seated in a horizontal bore hold the same at the forward end of the slot 26, as in Fig. l.

The gripper toggle is actuated from the feed toggle, in the gripper opening direction, by cross-pins 38 on'the links 20 and disposed at the back of the gripper toggle links 30 and, in the gripper closing direction, by the pin 25 which extends across the front of the upright parallel links 30.

The stock check is shown as a plunger 39 guided for vertical movement in the base or frame 40 of the machine at a point adjoining the front stop, lifted by a spring 41 and adapted to be closed down on the stock by abutment screw 42 in the end of the check closing lever 43 pivoted on the base at 44 and carrying at its free end lifting and supporting lugs cooperative with elements of the oscillating feed toggle.

The lug by which check closing lever 43 is lifted is designated 45 and is shown as a small plate pivoted on the lever at 46 and having an inclined cam face 47 on the lower edge thereof engageable by a lifting pin 48 on the lever, may be operated as a ratchet to lift and pivot freely on the upward counter-clockwise movement of pin 48 and on the reverse clockwise movement of this pin, to hold and serve as a cam for lifting lever 43; This ratcheting action is utilizedwhen the slide feed is operated 5 with a pilot, the free lifting of the cam giving time for the pilot to engage and center the stock and after this is accomplished, the reverse movement of pin 43 will then, operating on cam 47, lift the lever to close the check on the stock.

Fig. 7 shows the cam plate 45 as having an angular: flange 49 at the top which reaches over the upper edge portion of the lever on which the plate is mounted tolimit downward-movement of the cam plate and render this plate rigid under the clockwise movement engagement ofpin 48.. i

For the usual pilotless operation of the slidefeed the cam plate is fixedly secured on the lever by a screw 54 extended down through the stop flange 49 into the body of the lever. This screw remains in place while the machine is operated without a pilot and is removed or sufficiently released to permit rocking action of the cam plate when pilot action is in use. 7

The lug for supporting check lever 43 in the check closed condition is shown as an angularly extended piece 51011 the free end of the lever located for engagement by a laterally projecting shoulder 52 on the lower end of lever 53 having a friction band mounting 54 on the hub. portion 55, Fig. 8, of the rocking bell crank toggle member 23.

The upright shoulder 56 on lever 43' limits rocking I movement of the frictional lever 53 in the right-handed or counter-clockwise direction, Figs. 1 and 6, and a shoulder 57 at the right-hand side of this lever is engageable by the shoulder 56 of lever 43 to limit the drop or check opening movement of this lever.

A stop screw 58 extending through the supporting shoulder 51 on the end of the lever limits the left-handed movement of friction lever 53, Fig. 3, and thus can be set to determine the extent of engagement of the

lever supporting shoulders

52 and 51 to time the stock check 7 action.

The upper or live toggle lever 19 is shown as extended in the nature of a quadrant so as to carry the check lever lifting pin 48 in proper position to engage the cam on that lever, and the thus extended toggle lever is further shown as carrying an arcuately arranged series of screw openings 59 for the lift pin, providing timing adjustment for setting this pin to operate the check lever either sooner or later in the stock feeding cycle.

Adjustment forthickuess of stock is effected in the first illustrated form of the invention, Figs. 1 to 8, by mounting the upper toggle pin 31 in a bridge or bracket 60 adjustable vertically on the block by hold-down screws 61. This top adjustment is convenient but for some purposes bottom adjustment may be preferred.

Fig. 9 illustrates a form of the latter in which the bottom plate is replaced by a vertically adjustable anvil plug 62 screwed in the bottom of the slide block. A lock screw or the like maybe provided for securing this anvil plug in any vertically adjusted position.

Operation Fig. 1 shows the

feed toggle

19, 20 as having nearly reached the fully straightened condition, with the slide block up against the front stop 17, the gripper toggle 3G. 33 in straightened condition with the gripper closed. on the stock and the stock check 39 open, the condition of parts at end of the feed stroke. At this time thefric- 70 tion lever 53 is rocked forwardly, to the right, against abutment 56 on check closing lever 43, withrthe supporting shoulder 52 clear of shoulder 51 on the end of lever 43, which is in the dropped, check open position.

Fig.2-shows' how with slightly further straightening movement in the region of or possibly slightly past deadcenter, the pins 38 on lever links 20, by engagement with rearward edges of upright gripper toggle links 30, will break gripper toggle 3G, 33 to open or free the gripper from gripping engagement with the stock, and how in this slightly further forward movement the pin 48 on live toggle lever 19 will engage cam 47 on the check closing lever 43 to close the check down on the stock. Thus the stock is gripped by the check while the slide block is still up against the front stop and before return movement is started.

Fig. 3 shows the feed toggle started back over deadcenter and how in this slight movement of the toggle prior to start of the recovery stoke the dependentsupporting lever 53 is swung to the left to carry the supporting or holding shoulder 52 beneath shoulder 51 on the uplifted check closing lever 43. Lever 43 is thus locked in the raised, check closed position before or at the time the slide block starts its recovery stroke.

Fig. 4 shows the block against back stop 18 at the end of the recovery stroke, with gripper open and check closed on the stock, lever 43 being still supported in upraised, check closed position.

Fig. 5 shows how with slight further retrograde movement of live toggle lever 19 the cross-pin 25 is pulled back in its guide slot 26, compressing spring 36 while straighteninng

toggle

30, 33 to close gripper 27 on the stock. In this slight further retrograde movement check 39 remains closed on the stock. Thus the gripper is closed on the stock while the stock is still held by the check and the slide block is still-up against the back stop, preparatory to feed stroke of the block.

Fig. 6 illustrates the condition at commencement of feed stroke or just before the slide block leaves the back stop. In this slight initial movement of the feed toggle, while pin 25 is taking up lost motion in slot 26, the reaction of spring 36 holds the block against back stop 18 while the supporting lever 53 is moving to the right sufficiently to clear lug 52 from lug 51 to drop the end of check closing lever 43 and permit check 39 to open before the slide block starts forward.

Thus it will be seen the stock is held under control at all times. The invention permits a slight amount of overlap to be introduced at both ends of the slide block movement, at which times the stock will be held by both the gripper and the check, or at least one will not let go before the other has taken hold of the stock. This enables quick, accurate, uniform feeding.

'The gripper plunger may be of any desired size and shape to best engage and hold the stock and the extended area thus made possible insures firm, positive gripping without injuring or deforming the stock, a distinct advantage, particularly in the handling of thin, soft and more or less fragile strip material.

In operating with a pilot the. stock, at the end of the feed stroke, is released momentarily for registration by the pilot. This is accomplished in the machine illustrated by releasing or removing the hold-down screw 59 which permits the cam piece to operate as a ratchet, lifting freely on the upward, right-handed movement of the pin 48, Fig. 2, while piloting action is being accomplished and serving as a ratchet cam to lift the check closing lever 43 in the reverse, left-handed movement ofpin 48, Fig. 3.

The pins 38 on the feed toggle in conjunction with the rear edge of the gripper toggle, engaging as in Fig. 2, constitute companion opposing abutment elements for breaking the gripper toggle at the end of the feed toggle straightening movement and conversely the cross-pin 25 at the end of the feed toggle, in engaging the opposite forward edge of the gripper toggle as illustrated in Fig. 5, at the end of the recovery stroke, constitute companion opposing abutment elements for closing the gripper at the end oftherecovery or return stroke of the slide block.

What is claimed is: I

1. Slide feed comprising the combination of a reciprocating slide block, a gripper on said block and including a toggle for opening and closing the same in respect to the stock being fed, an oscillating feed toggle connected to reciprocate said slide block and means on said oscillating toggle for efiecting stock gripping and releasing movements of said gripper toggle, including shoulders on said feed toggle spaced to opposite sides of said gripper toggle and engageable therewith to operate said gripper toggle in the actuation of the feed toggle in opposite directions, said feed toggle havinga lost motion connec tion with the slide block and spring means included in the connection of the feed toggle with the block for holding the feed toggle separated from the gripper toggle but yieldable to enable operative engagement of the feed toggle with the gripper toggle.

2. Slide feed comprising the combination of reciprocating slide block, an oscillating feed toggle pivotally connected at its free end to said slide block and operating from a toggle broken to a substantially straightened toggle position to complete feed stroke of the slide block, a stock gripper on said slide block, a gripper actuating toggle on the slide block mounted to oscillate in substantially the same general plane as said feed toggle and operable from a broken to a substantially straightened condition to efiect closing of the gripper on the stock, companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle and gripper toggle in position engaging in the straightening movement of the feed toggle to effect breaking movement of the gripper toggle and opening of the gripper at completion of the stock feeding movement, and companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle and gripper toggle in position engaging in the reverse, toggle breaking movement of said feed toggle for efiecting straightening, gripper closing movement of the gripper toggle at the opposite end of oscillating movement of the feed toggle and closing of the gripper on the stock at the end of recovery stroke of the slide block.

3. Slide feed comprising the combination of reciprocating slide block, an oscillating feed toggle pivotally connected at its free end to said slide block and operating from a toggle broken to a substantially straightened toggle position to complete feed stroke of the slide block, a stock gripper on said slide block, a gripper actuating toggle on the slide block mounted to oscillate in substantially the same general plane as said feed toggle and operable from a broken to a substantially straightened condition to efiect closing of the gripper on the stock, companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle and gripper toggle in position engaging in the straightening movement of the feed toggle to effect breaking movement of the gripper toggle and opening of the gripper at completion of the stock feeding movement, and companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle and gripper toggle in position engaging in the reverse, toggle breaking movement of said feed toggle for efiecting straightening, gripper closing movement of the gripper toggle at the opposite end of oscillating movement of the feed toggle and closing of the gripper on the stock at the end of recovery stroke of the slide block, said companion abutment elements including pins mounted in spaced relation on the feed toggle, disposed on opposite sides of the gripper toggle and engageable with the opposite rearward and forward edges of the gripper toggle.

4. Slide feed comprising the combination of reciprocating slide block, an oscillating feed toggle pivotally connected at its free end to said slide block and operating from a toggle broken to a substantially straightened toggle position to complete feed stroke of the slide block, a stock gripper on said slide block, a gripper actuating toggle on the slide block mounted to oscillate in substantially the same general plane as said feed toggle and operable from a broken to a substantially straightened condition to effect closing of the gripper on the stock, companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle and gripper toggle in position engaging in the straightening movement of the feed toggle to effect breaking movement of the gripper toggle and opening of the gripper at completion of the stock feeding movement, and companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle and gripper toggle in position engaging in the reverse, toggle breaking movement of said feed toggle for effecting straightening, gripper closing movement of the gripper toggle at the opposite end of oscillating movement of the feed toggle and closing of the gripper on the stock at the end of recovery stroke of the slide block, said pivotal connection or" the feed toggle with the slide block including a cross-pin on the feed toggle and the block having a slot for receiving said cross-pin and providing therewith a lost motion connection between the feed toggle and block, and spring means for yieldingly taking up lost motion in said connection in one direction of travel of the block.

5. Slide feed comprising the combination of reciprocating slide block, an oscillating feed toggle pivotally connected at its free end to said slide block and operating from a toggle broken to a substantially straightened toggle position to complete feed stroke of the slide block, a stock gripper on said slide block, a gripper actuating toggle on the slide block mounted to oscillate in substantially the same general plane as said feed toggle and operable from a broken to a substantially straightened condition to eitect closing of the gripper on the stock, companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle and gripper toggle in position engaging in the straightening movement of the feed toggle to eliect breaking movement of the gripper toggle and opening of the gripper at completion of the stock feeding movement, companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle and gripper toggle in position engaging in the reverse, toggle breaking movement of said feed toggle for effecting straightening, gripper closing movement of the gripper toggle at the opposite end of oscillating movement of the feed toggle and closing of the gripper on the stock at the end of recovery stroke of the slide block, a stock check and connections from said feed toggle for efiecting stock engaging and disengaging operations of said stock check at opposite ends of the travel of said feed toggle, including an actuating member on said feed toggle and a two-position cam shiftable into one position for actuation by said actuating member for pilot operation of the slide feed and into a different position for pilotless operation of the slide feed.

6. Slide feed comprising the combination of reciprocating slide block, an oscillating teed toggle pivotally connected at its free end to said slide block and operating from a toggle broken to a substantially straightened toggle position to complete feed stroke of the slide block, a stock gripper on said slide block, a gripper actuating toggle on the slide block mounted to oscillate in substantially the same general plane as said feed toggle and operable from a broken to a substantially straightened condition to efiect closing of the gripper on the stock, companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle and gripper toggle in position engaging in the straightening movement of the feed toggle to effect breaking movement of the gripper toggle and opening of the gripper at completion of the stock feeding movement, companion abutment elements in opposing relation on said feed toggle and gripper toggle in position engaging in the reverse, toggle breaking movement of said feed toggle for effecting straightening, gripper closing movement of the gripper toggle at the opposite end of oscillating movement of the feed toggle and closing of the gripper on the stock at the end of recovery stroke of the slide block, a stock check and j? connections operable by said feeds toggle for efiecting stock engaging and disengaging operations of said stock check at opposite ends of travel of said feed toggle, including a check operating lever and companion abutments on said lever and feed toggle engageable in the oscillating movement of said feed toggle and relatively shiftable to alter the time of said engagement in the oscillating cycle of said feed toggle.

7. Slide feed comprising the combination of reciprocating slide block, an oscillating feed toggle connected to'reciprocate said block, a stock gripper on said, slide block, means operated by said feed toggle for imparting stock gripping and releasing movements to said gripper at opposite ends of travel of said slide block, a stock check and connections operable, by said feed toggle for effecting stock engaging and disengaging operations of said stock check at opposite ends of travel of said feed toggle, including a lever for opening and closing said check, a ratchetmember mounted on said lever, and an abutment on thefeed toggle positioned to freely pass said ratchet member in one direction-of rection of movement of saidifeed-toggle.

8. The invention according to claim 7 'With means for securing said ratchet member immovable on the lever and whereby said abutment on the toggle will be effective through engagement with said ratchet member in its fixed'relation to actuate the check lever on movement of the feed toggle in both directions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Grimm Dec. 23, 1953 Powers Oct. 25, 1955