US2845807A - Reversing drive - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 5, 1958 A. HALE s 2,845,807

REVERSING' DRIVE Filed Aug. 10, 1953 4 Sheet-Shee't 1 I I INVENTOR M @564."

ATTORNEY-5 Aug. 5, 1958 c. A. HARLESS 2,845,807

A REVERSING DRIVE Filed Aug. 10, 1955 4 Sheets-Shet s INVENTOR BY 1/ 6 A -7 ATTORNEY 3' Aug. 5, 1958 c. A. HARLESS 2,845,807

REVERSING DRIVE Filed Aug. 10, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ATT NEYJ United States Patent REVERSING DRIVE Charles A. Harless, Riverside, Conn., assignorto R. Hoe & Co., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 10, 1953, Serial No. 373,125

9 Claims. c1. 74378) This invention relates to reversing drives, and more particularly to reversing drives for printing machines.

In printing machinery, it is frequently necessary to reverse the rotation of a printing couple, together with part or all of the inking mechanism and other mechanisms associated therewith, as, for example, in providing for a desired web lead through a plurality of couples to permit printing in multicolor of the desired pages in the product. Provision of such reversal will be made by means of clutching arrangements of a suitable character, and the present invention is concerned with arrangements of this type.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved reversing clutch arrangement of the type indicated and requiring no special tools.

A further object is to provide a clutching arrangement of the type indicated, requiring a minimum opening through the housing for the drive.

A further object of the invention is to provide a drive and clutching arrangement in which the shafting and clutch elements are maintained in coaxial relationship and wear and vibration are reduced to a minimum.

A drive embodying the invention in a preferred form will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing and the features forming the invention will then be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a horizontal cross section of the drive, taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the drive of Figure 1, on a somewhat enlarged scale and with housing structure removed to show the parts;

Figure 3 is an elevation view, looking in the direction of the arrows 3--3 of Figure 1, and with housing structure removed;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, on an enlarged scale and looking in the opposite direction from the arrows; and

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 4.

In Figure 1, there is indicated at the general frame structure on which the drive and driven elements are supported, together with shafts 11 and 12 for driving the cylinders of a printing couple, and also the meshing gears 13 and 14 for these elements. A bevel gear 15 is also carried by shaft 11, and as herein shown, coupled to the gear wheel 13 by means of shear pins. The bevel gear 15 drives a bevel gear 18 fixed to a shaft 19 for driving inking mechanism associated with the printing cylinders of the unit, and as shown in Figure 2, gear 15 is driven by either of two bevel gears 20, 21 from a vertical shaft 22, part of which is shown, and which is driven by a motor or by gearing connected to a main shaft and located at some suitable point in the machine. A clutching device including a slidable sleeve 23 is provided for coupling either of the bevel gears 20, 21 to the vertical shaft 22, as desired, so as to permit driving the unit in either direction.

The structure and mounting of the gears 13 and 15 are ice shown in detail in Figure 5. As there shown, the gear 13 comprises a rim 30 on which the gear teeth are formed and which is carried by a body 31 keyed or otherwise secured on the shaft 11. Bolts 32 screwed into an annular member 33 bolt the rim 30 in position on the gear body 31. The gear 15 comprises a ring 24 on which the gear teeth are formed and which issecured to a body 25 by bolts 35. The body 25 is provided with a bushing 26 and is rotatably supported on a bushing 27 carried on the end of the shaft 11. A washer 34, secured on the shaft 11 by bolts 34, prevents axial movement of the gear 15 relative to the shaft 11. Lugs 17 project radially from the body member 25 of the gear 15 and similar lugs 16 project from the body 31 of the gear 13. The lugs.

16 and 17 are provided with bushings 28 positioned to receive shear pins 36 which are held in place by retaining "20 and 21 comprises separate bearing elements rotatably supporting the shaft and bevel gears from webs 37, 38 and 39, cast integral with the housing structure 40 (Figure 3)., The bearing elements carried by the web 37 are bestshown in Figure 4- As there indicated, an annular member 41 supports a double roller bearing 42 which rotatably supports the bevel gear 20 and also maintains this gear in position vertically or axially of the shaft 22. Shaft 22, in turn, is supported by a second annular member 43, and ball bearing 44 which is held in position by a cap 45 secured to the member 43 by bolts 46. Members ing 50, which rotatably supports the gear 21 and also maintains it in vertical position. The lower end of shaft 22 is carried in ball bearing 51 (Figure 3) supported by means of annular element 52 and cap or cover plate 53 on the web 39 to which these elements are secured by bolts 54. The shaft element 22 is preferably formed as a separate shaft section coupled to upper and lower vertical shaft sections by couplings 55, as indicated.

Affixed to each of the gears 20, 21 by bolts as shown in Figure 5, is a spur spline clutch element 56 or 57 cooperating with'internal spline teeth formed on the clutch sleeve 23. Spur spline clutch elements 58 and 59 rotatably fixed to the shaft 22 by means of a key 60, have their teeth meshing with those of the sleeve 23, so that when the sleeve is moved upwardly bevel gear 20 is coupled to the shaft 22 and when it is moved downwardly the lower bevel gear 21 is coupled to this shaft. In the intermediate position of Figure 5, neither gear is coupled, so that the unit is not driven. The operating mechanism for moving the clutch sleeve comprises a rotatable sleeve 61 carried. a recess formed in the members 58 and 59 and having bosses or projections 62 which are received in cam slots 63 formed in the sleeve 23. As best shown in Figures 2 and 3, the cam slot 63 has dwells at its ends and at its center for positioning the sleeve in the upper or lower coupling positions or in the central uncoupled position, as desired. This operating structure is generally similar to that shown in Harless application Serial No. 277,641, filed March 20, l952, for Rotary Shaft Clutch, the present invention in this aspect being an improvement thereon, designed to provide for two-way clutching action.

Patented Aug. 5, 1958.

formed with sockets 66 totake a bar wrench W (Figure l) for turning the-sleeve element '61. Since the outer sleeve element 23 is held from rotation relative to shaft 22 by the engaging spline teeth on it and on the elements 58 and "59",. the: result of turning the inner sleeve 61, will 'be' to move the outer sleeve 23 axially as desired.

As will be apparent, the shaft section 22, and the clutch, gear and bearing elements upon it forma-separable sub-assembly, allpartsof which may be accurately aligned and positioned axially with relation to each other.

also'willbe apparent, in some conditions of operation the bevel gear 2001 21 will rotate at the same speed as shaft 22 but in the opposite direction. The separate bearings 'for the shaft and bevel gears insure, however, that therewill'be no friction between these elements, so that no wear is involved due to relative rotation as between shaft 22 and the gears 20, 21. The thrust on gear 20 or 21 when coupled with shaft 22 to drive the bevel gear wheel 15 is taken by the adjacent double'roller bearing'42 or 50 as the case maybe, located immediately adjacent the gear teeth and on the hub of the gear. The accurate positioning of the shaft section 22 and its bevel gears 20, 21 and associated bearing elements permits adjustment of this sub-assembly, so as to reduce backlash between the spline teeth of the clutch elements to a minimum.

It will be observed that the hubs of gears 20 and 21 and also the double roller bearings supporting the same areconsiderably elongated in the axial direction, furnishing'very satisfactory bearing support, and that only a very slight axial separation or clearance is provided between the clutch elements 56 and 57 attached to these bevel gears and the clutch structure 58 and 59 between them. Since the structure may be pro-assembled and then inse'rted sidewise into the openings in the supporting webs 37, 38 and 39, no more than a running clearance is required at these points and an exceptionally compact and solid construction is provided. For the same reason, shaft section 22' may be provided with reduced ends 67, forming' shoulders for positioning this shaft element vertically. The entire assembly may thus be mounted independently of the upper and lower shaft sections coupled to it by the couplings 55, and may be properly related to the gear 15 for obtaining the best gear action and minimum backlash, couplings 55 permitting such very slight misalignment of the vertical shaft sections as may result.

What is claimed is:

1'. A- reversible printing press unit drive comprising, in combination, a bevel driven gear and horizontal shaft driven thereby, a vertical drive shaft, a pair of bearings supporting said vertical shaft and located respectively above and below the said gear, upper and lower bevel gears surrounding the vertical shaft and meshing with the first said bevel gear, bearings supporting the said upper and lower bevel gears independently of the vertical shaft, and a clutch assembly carried by said vertical shaft intermediate the upper and lower bevel gears and comprising means movable lengthwise of the said vertical shaft for coupling the said vertical shaft selectively to either of the said pair of gears.

2. A reversible printing press unit drive comprising, in combination, a bevel driven gear and horizontal shaft driven thereby, a vertical drive shaft, a gear housing and frame structure, a pair of bearings mounted in said struc- 4 vertical shaft selectively to either of the said pair of gears.

3. A reversible printing press drive according to claim 2, in which the said vertical shaft, upper and lower bevel gears, bearings and clutch are constructed as a subassembly bodily removable from the said gear housing and frame structure.

4. A reversible printing press unit drive comprising, in combination, a bevel driven gear and horizontal shaft driven thereby, a vertical drive shaft section, a pair of bearings supporting said shaft section and located respectively above and below the said gear, upper and lower bevel gears surrounding the shaft section and meshing with the first said bevel gear, bearings supporting the said upper and lower bevel gears independently of the shaft section, a clutch assembly carried by said shaft section intermediate the said upper and lower bevel gears and comprising means movable lengthwise of the said vertical shaft for coupling the said shaft section selectively'to either of the said pair of gears, and a coupling for drivingly connecting the said shaft section to an aligned shaft.

5. A reversible printing press unit drive according to claim 4, comprising also a second coupling for drivingly connecting the said shaft section to a second aligned shaft.

6. A reversible printing. press unit drive comprising, in combination, a bevel driven gear, a pair of driving bevel gears in mesh therewith for driving the same respectively in forward and reverse directions, bearings rotatably supporting the said driving bevel gears, a drive shaft coaxial with and passing through the said pair of bevel gears, and a clutch assembly mounted on the said shaft between the gears of the said pair and comprising an axially movable sleeve for coupling the gears of the said pair selectively to the shaft and having a cam slot, and operating mechanism for the said sleeve comprising an inner sleeve rotatably' carried on the shaft, and a projection on the said inner sleeve within the said cam slot for moving the coupling sleeve axially upon turning of the said inner sleeve:

7. A reversible printing press unit drive according to claim 6, in which the cam slot has high, low and middle dwells for positioning the coupling sleeve in forward, reverse and neutral positions.

8. In a reversible printing press unit drive, the combination with a shaft of a clutch mechanism for coupling the same selectively to a pair of elements to be driven, the said clutch mechanism comprising spur spline clutch members carried by and keyed to the shaft and having abutting hubs recessed to form a seat for a rotatable sl'eeve, a rotatable sleeve carried in the said recess, an axially slidable coupling sleeve member having internal spline clutch teeth meshing with the teeth of the said spur spline clutch members and cam slots formed in it, the said inner sleeve having projections extending into the said cam slots for moving the clutch sleeve axially upon turning of the inner sleeve.

9. The combination according to claim 8, in which the cam slots have high, low and middle dwells for positioning the coupling sleeve in forward, reverse and new tral' positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 309,172 Tracy Dec. 9,. 1884. 4311066 Levcrich July 1, 1890 803,565 Dina Nov. 7, 1905 2,150,150 Burrows Mar. 14, 1939 2,368,885 S-chmitter Feb. 6, 1945 2,572,052 Pheazey Oct. 23, 1951. 2,602,347 Miller July8, -2

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