US2937687A

US2937687A - Machine for forming an oval opening in an axle housing

Info

Publication number: US2937687A
Application number: US544221A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arlow G Gould
Original assignee: Clark Equipment Co
Current assignee: Doosan Bobcat North America Inc
Priority date: 1955-11-01
Filing date: 1955-11-01
Publication date: 1960-05-24
Anticipated expiration: 1977-05-24

Description

May 24, 1960 A. c. GOULD 2,937,687

' MACHINE FOR FORMING AN OVAL OPENING IN AN AXLE HOUSING Filed Nov. 1, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

INVENTOR.

ARLOW G. GOULD ATTY.

May 24, 1960 A. G. GOULD 2,937,687

MACHINE FOR FORMING AN OVAL OPENING IN AN AXLE HOUSING Filed Nov. 1, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

ARLOW G. GOULD ATTY.

May 24, 1960 A. G. GOULD 2,937,687

MACHINE FOR FORMING AN OVAL OPENING IN AN AXLE HOUSING Filed Nov. 1, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 l l 1 1 1 *3 |56 I r. r: I

4 h- 154 if I --l6O INVENTOR.

ARLOW G. GOU LD BYVQWM ATTY.

May 24, 1960 A. e. GOULD 2,937,687

v MACHINE FOR FORMING AN OVAL OPENING IN AN AXLE HOUSING Filed NOV. 1, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 4 '8 v [06 4 54 L 2o II82 INVENTOR.

ARLOW G. GOULD BQQWM ATTY.

May 24, 1960 A. G. GOULD 2,937,

MACHINE. FOR FORMING AN OVAL OPENING IN AN AXLE HOUSING Filed Nov. 1, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVEN Qj ARLOW G. sou 5 WWW ATTY.

United States Arlow G. Gould, Niles, Mich., assignor to Clark Equipment Company, a corporation of Michigan Eiled Nov. 1, 1955, Ser. No. 544,22i V Claims. 01. 153-48) This invention relates to a machine for forming axle housings, and more particularly to a machine for forming an oval opening in the banjo portion of drive axle housings for trucks, busses, passenger vehicles and the like. r

Heretofore axle housings of the type specified. have been formed with circular openings in either side of the banjo frame which are adapted to permit passage therethrough of the differential gear set, for example, of any given rear axle drive unit. One method of making axle housings with circular openings, which has met with signal commercial success, is disclosed in expired Reissue Patent No. 20,103 to George Spatta. 1

In certain applications it has been found that oval, as distinguished from circular, openings in the axle housing best meet the requirements that the openings be large enough to permit passage of the gear set therethrough, and that the overall height of the housing be sufliciently small to permit adequate road clearance. I a

I have discovered a method for ovalizing circular openings in axle housings of the type specified by which the metal forming the banjo portion of the housing is reformed by cold forging means into a relatively elongated configuration, and the metal defining the circular openings in said housing is reshaped to define oval openings having major axes parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing. My method is claimed in co-pending application Serial No. 647,034 filed March 19, 1957 which is a division of the present application.

My method may be carried out by using the machine disclosed herein which includes a plurality of power actuated dies locatable within and without the banjo housing, each of said dies being actuatable in predetermined coordinated relation with each other die in such a manner that a first pair of oppositely and internally disposed identical dies move outwardly in opposite directions to predetermined positions along an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the housing so as to fix the final length of the minor axes of the oval openings and form the metal adjacent such axes, a second pair of oppositely and internally disposed identical dies move outwardly in opposite directions to predetermined positions along an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing to forge or reshape the banjo and ovalize the openings therein by lengthening the major axes thereof, and a third pair of oppositely and externally disposed identical dies move inwardly in opposite directions to ate'nt O practical andinex'pen'sive wayof:

2,937,587 2 V E PatentedMay 24, 1960 ovalizing the banjo portion of a forged single piece axle housing, 'It has also been found that use of my novel metho'd'and machine for the purpose described does not appreciably reduce the strength or load bearing characteristics of the axle housing. V I

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a machine for ovalizing circuit openings in the banjo portion of axle housings; I

Another-important object of this invention isft'o 'provide a novel and relatively simple machine for carrying out my method. v

A further object of my invention, is to provide a cold forging machine for reshaping circular openings in the banjo frame of axle housingssuch that the normal height of the banjo frameis decreased and the openings therein are elongated along a predetermined axis.

0 Other objectsand advantages of the present invention predetermined positions along the axis of said first'pair piece forged axle housing having oval openings formed in either side of the banjo portion thereof.

It has been found that by using the above described method, ovalized banjo housings maybe manufactured atconsiderably lower cost than by any otherknown method, and that said method provides the only known 1 Figured;

will become apparentto-those skilled in the art'from the following detailed description when'taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure lis' a partial front elevation of my machine .having an axle housing of the type specified shown mounted thereon with the cold forging dies of said machine disposed at the ends of their cycle of ovalizing operation; 1

Figure 2 is a partial section taken along line 2 -2 of partialjsection taken along line 2A-:2A outer die'150describ'ed heret Figure 2A is a of Figure l (with the top inafter-omitted);

Figure-3 is a partial sectional view taken along line 3-3 ofFigure' l; e 1

Figure-4 is a schematic view impartial section of a part of the operating mechanism shown in'Figure 3 just after'the ovalizing cycle has begun; 3 I

Figure 5 is a' schematized partial section ofa part of the operating mechanism shown in Figure 2 just after the ovalizing cycle has begun, as shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a schematized partial sectional view of a part of the operating mechanism shown near the end of the ovalizing cycle of Figure 3; and i Figure 7 is a perspective view Oi'thfi main part of th machine, as shown in Figure 1, with one modification as explained hereinafter, taken at about a 45 angle in the upper right handquadrant with'the axle housing removed andthe forging dies. in non-operating positions. Referring now to'Figures 1, 2, 3 and 7, a cold forging machine is generally shown at numeral 10 having a support plate 12 which may be mounted on a floor supported base, not shown, inany desired position, i.e., horizontal, vertical'orat any desired angle therebetween For the purpose of the following description it will be assumed that plate 12 is mounted in a vertical position. Rigidly connected to plate member 12, as by studs, are yoke or cradle members '14 and 16 mounted in horizontally spaced relation to Y each other, horizontally extending 'and vertically. spaced

ways

18 and 20 having grooves or tracks22 and 24 extendingalong the inner portions-thereof, respectively, vertically extending and horizontally spaced

ways

26, 28,?and 30,32 having vertically extending inwardly disposed tracks similar to .those of

ways

18 and 20, vertically extending and centrally located hydraulic piston and cylinder constructions of well known type, ,one of whichis shown at 34, and spring loaded plunger mountings 36 and 38 (Figure 1) and pneumatic piston-and cylinder responsive means'37 and 39 (Figure7). 3 a

Two plate-like. members or

slides

40 and 42 are each mounted for sliding movement in the grooves 22. and 24 of ways 18' and 20. A die 44 having a convex surface 46 formed as asector of an oval extends transversely ut ly f m li e 9 a s sidl enam thereto by bolts 48. The die 44 is formed with a longitudinal slot 50 running through the central section thereof, said slot including a flat slopingsurface 52 for a purpose to be described. A die 54 identical to die 44 is connected to slide 42 by bolts 56 and .is symmetrically disposed relative to die 44 about the axis of a reciprocable piston rod 58. a

A second set of

identical dies

60 and 62 are symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of rod 58 mid-way between dies 44 and 54'and are connected to

block members

64 and 66 by bolts 68 and 70 (see Figure 3), said block members and dies being pivoted on stub-

shafts

72 and 74. The stub-shaft 72 is supported at the opposite ends thereof in horizontally aligned cylindrical bores 76 and 78 in the upper part of dies 54 and44, respectively, and the stub-shaft 74. is similarly mounted. in

cylindrical bores

80 and 82 disposed in the lower portion of said dies. Suitably mountedtbetween support plate 12 and pivoted

members

64 and 66 are a pair .of

springs

84 and 86 which urge

members

64, 60 and 66, 62 about

shafts

72 and 74, respectively, in counterclockwise and clockwise directions, respectively,'as viewed in Figure 3.

A camming wedge structure 100 is mounted on piston shaft 58 for movement therewith and has projecting from a sleeve 102 thereof a first pair of integral oppositely disposed

identical wedge portions

104 and 106, and a second pair of oppositely disposed identical wedge por-'

tions

108 and 110, each identical pair of said wedge portions beingdisposed in transverse relation to the other pair of wedge portions on the sleeve 102. The

wedge portions

104 and 106 are formed with flat

sloping surfaces

112 and 114, respectively, and with flat

horizontal surfaces

116 and 118, respectively, and

wedge portions

108 and 110 are formed with flat

horizontal surfaces

120, 122 and 124, 126, respectively, and with flat

sloping surfaces

128 and 130, respectively. Structure 100 is mounted on piston rod 58 so that wedges 104 and .106 register with

slots

50 and 55 in dies 44 and54, respectively, the sloping surfaces of saiddies being cut at the same angle as surfaces 112 and .114 of the respective wedges. When structure 100is mounted in this position the outer surfaces of wedge portions 108 and Y110 are disposed in contact with a portion of the inner surfaces of

block members

64 and 66, respectively.

Sleeve 102 terminates at ihesouter'end'thereof in a collar 132 which is held in a ,fixed axial position relative to rod 58 by-a :fitting:13.4 'whichlthreadedly mates with the end of said rod. .An hydraulicicylinder construction 136, suitably connectedto in hydraulic fluid pressure control mechanism, not shown, is :adaptedto' actuate structure 100 with piston rod '58 in eithertdirection along the axis of said rod. A'ring 137 connected to fitting 134 by bolts 138 functions as a positive .stopxfor inward actuation of structure 100 when the ring is 'moved into abutment with outer radially extending surfaces of pivoted block members 64an'd =66. Opposite movement of wedge 100 is limited by a stop member, not shown, built into cylinder construction 136.

With the structure 100located in its fully extended position, i.e., when the stop in cylinder 136 limits outward movement of said structure, springs 84 and 86 hold block members 64 and and the die members connected 11181680111 an inwardly rotated position on stubshafts 72 and 74 (see Figure 4), in which position the outer portions of the inner surfaces of said block members abut surfaces 128 and '130 of wedge portions 108 tained in contact withja portionof the outer contoured surfaces of wedge portionsllM 106 by two pairs of piston, not shown.

spring loaded plunger sets 140 and 142 mounted in

supports

36 and 38, respectively, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or by pneumatic actuators 39 and 37, respec tively, as shown in Figure 7 as an alternate construction, said plunger sets or actuators, as the case may be, being operatively connected to slide

members

40 and 42, respectively, to urge same, along with dies 44 and 54, inwardly towards the axis of piston shaft 58. It is apparent that the manner of loading each of dies 44, 54, 60, and 62 effects continuous contact between the respective inner surfaces of the die-blocks with the corresponding outer surfaces of

wedge portions

104, 106, 108, and 110, respectively.

When cylinder 136 is energized to retract piston rod 58 from its fully extended position, structure moves inwardly with said rod to expand the various dies outwardly in the following manner: (a) Sloping

surfaces

128 and 130 of wedge portions 108 and first rotate dies 60 and 62 outwardly about stub-

shafts

72 and 74 as said surfaces are moved towards cylinder 136, during which time dies 44 and 54 remain in their initial positions in contact with the extended

flat surfaces

116 and 118 of

wedge members

104 and 106; (b) Continued retraction of piston rod 58 causes dies 60 and 62 to fully traverse sloping

surfaces

128 and 130 and be thereafter maintained in an outer fixed horizontal position by surfaces and 124, during traverse of which latter surfaces dies 44 and 54 are actuated outwardly in opposite directions by sloping

surfaces

112 and 114 of

wedge portions

104 and 106 which move inwardly through

slots

50 and 55 of said dies; and (0) Full outward movement of dies 44 and 54 occurs when stop member 137 is actuated into contact with block members and 66. It should be noted that outward actuation of dies 44 and 54 begins at the moment when dies 60 and 62 are actuated out of contact with sloping surfaces 128 and and into con- .tact with

surfaces

120 and 124 of

wedge portions

108 and 110. The relationship between the positions of the two pairs of die members is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, wherein outward movement of dies 60 and 62 has just begun while dies 44 and 54 remain in their inwardmost positions on

surfaces

116 and 118 of wedge members 104 and106.

A third pair of outwardly disposed dies and 152 are reciprocably actuatable by fluid pressure cylinder means, such as shown at 34, to move inwardly in opposite directions towards dies 60 and 62 in

ways

30, 32 and 26, 28, respectively. Die 152 is shown connected to a piston rod 154 of cylinder means 34 by a connecting block 156 bolted thereto.

Passages

158 and 160 are disposed-at opposite ends of cylinder means 34 for conducting pressurized fluid to one side or the other of a Inward movement of dies 150 and 152 by the connected cylinder means is initiated in predetermined timed relation by a control mechanism, not shown, so that the beginning of such movement is simultaneous with or just behind the beginning of outward expanding movement "of dies'44 and 54. Preferably, the beginning of inward movement of dies 150 and 152 is approximately one second behind the beginning of outward movement of dies 44 and 54, although, obviously, such timing may be varied as desired. Dies 150 and 152 continue to move inwardly until outward movement of dies 44 and 54 ceases, as determined by the position of contact between ring stop member 137 and mem bers 64 and 66, at which time a solenoid valve in the control mechanism, not shown, is automatically energized to reverse the direction of fluid flow into cylinder means 34 and 136, thereby causing outward movement of structure 100 with piston rod 58 and outward movement of piston rods 154 which permits inward radial movement of the four inner dies and outward radial movement of the two outer dies.

Grease runs 162 and 164 are located between the slide 40 and the die 44 and between i 16 slide 42 and die 54 respectively, and terminate at the inner surfaces of said dies for insuring proper lubrication between wedge portion 104 and die 44, and between wedge 10 6 f'and die 54, respectively. A stop member 166, in the form of a ring sector, is bolted toslide 40, and asimilar 'stop' member 1.685s bolted to slide 42 for a purpose to be described. 7 Q

When each of the six described dies is in a fully collapsed position, as shown in Figures 4, and 7, an axle housing 170 having oppositely extending

arms

172 and 174, a banjo housing or frame 176, and rings 180 and 182 aligned with and welded to' the outer faces of the opposite sides of the banjo frame, made in accordance with, for example, the method disclosed in the Spatta Reissue Patent 20,103, supra, may be placed in the cold forging machine 10 by approximately aligning the circular openings in the banjo housing 176 with piston rod 58 and then slightly lifting the entire housing to place

arms

172 and 174 in the cradles of

yokes

14 and 16. The yokes are so positioned on supporting plate 12 that when the axle housing is centered thereon, the axis of revolution of the banjo frame 176 is in substantial alignment with the axis of piston rod 58. The inner mounted position of axle housing 170 on the forging machine 10 is determined by the position of contact between rin 182 and stop

members

166 and 168.

To ovalize the banjo housing and the circular openings therein, the machine 10 is put into operation, following which the following sequence of operations occur: Cylinder means 136 begins to retract structure 100 to first actuate dies 60 and 62 outwardly to predetermined positions as fixed by the rise of

wedge portions

108 and 110 between

surfaces

122 and 120, and 126 and 124, in which positions dies 60 and 62 are a predetermined distance away from or out of contact with the adjacent inner surface portions of the banjo housing; substantially simultaneously with departure of said dies from the sloping faces 128 and 130 of said wedge portions, dies 44 and 54 move outwardly into contact with the adjacent inner surfaces of the banjo housing along the sloping

surfaces

112 and 114 of wedge portions. 104 and 106, respec? tively; and simultaneously with initial contact between said latter mentioned dies and the banjo housing, or within one to three seconds thereafter, as preferred, cylinder means 34 and another, not shown, are energized to actuate dies 150 and 152 into contact with portions of the outer surfaces of the banjo housing adjacent to the latter dies. Retraction of structure 100 and inward movement of dies 150 and 152 continues until stop member 136 contacts pivoted

block members

64 and 66, as before explained, by which time the load on cylinder means 136, which is, in practice, in the order of 50 tons, and the load exerted on the upper and lower portions of the banjo housing by dies 150 and 152 have caused a reshaping of the banjo housing into the form shown in Figure 1.

In practice, this cold forging process effects, in a given model of axle housing, an elongation of approximately two inches of the original diameter of the circular opening in the banjo along the longitudinal axis of the housing, and a decrease or shortening of the original diameter by approximately three-quarters inch along the transverse housing diameter.

It will be noted that inward pressure on the housing portions adjacent dies 150 and 152 continues, until said housing portions are in contact with the formed ends of predeterminately positioned dies 60 and 62, at which time dies 44 and 54 have reached full extension. As hereinbefore explained, a solenoid valve is automatically energized at this time to reverse the movements of the cylinder means, which then actuate the various dies away from the respective adjacent surfaces of the banjo housing, following which the axle housing 170 may be removed from the machine 10.

vThe surfaces of each die of the pairs of diet: "60, 62

and 150, 152, which are actuatable into-forging relation with the corresponding inner and outer surfaces ofthe banjo housing, are substantially straight and flat so that upper and lower sections of predetermined extension of said banjo housing are cold forged into substantially straight-section s, whereas the surface engaging portions of dies 44 and 54 are formed in substantially elliptical sections. The resultant configuration of the openings in the banjo housing is substantially elliptical.

It will be noted that each of the six die members utilized in reforming the banjo frame 176 of theaxle housing are readily removable from adjacent supporting members. This arrangement permits various die inserts to be used as desired for cold forging the banjo frame into more or less elliptical or other shapes as desired. In addition, it is apparent that my machine may be readily designed to accommodate axle housings of widely varying size and configuration, and that the same novel method is applicable to reforming the shape of the banjo frames of housings of such varying size and shape.

It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications in structure and the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the scope of my invention.

I claim: 7

1. In a machine for reforming axle housings having a hollow banjo frame, arms extending longitudinally outwardly in opposite directions from said frame, and a circular opening formed in each side face of said frame;

supporting means mounted on said machine for holdingan axle housing in mounted position thereon, a first pair of substantially identical dies extending through the circular openings in said banjo frame, means for actuating said dies outwardly in opposite directions in the plane of the longitudinal axis of said axle housing for reforming the shape of the banjo frame by increasing a diametral length of each of said circular openings, a second pair of substantially identical dies extending through said banjo frame, means for actuating said second pair of dies outwardly in opposite directions in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of said axle housing to predetermined positions within said banjo frame, a third pair of dies mounted exteriorly of said banjo frame for directionally opposed movement in the plane of said second pair of 'in claim 1 wherein the banjo frame shaping surfaces of said second and third pairs of dies are at least partially flat, the banjo frame shaping surfaces of said first pair of dies are convex, and the resulting form of said banjo frame and the openings therein are substantially oval following actuation of said three pairs of dies as defined.

3. A machine for reforming axle housings as claimed in claim 1 wherein the die actuating means for said first and second pairs of dies comprises .reciprocablewedgelike portions actuableby hydraulic means and contoured in predetermined relation to each other.

4. A machine for reforming axle housings as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are provided for returning each of said pairs of dies to initial positions out of engage- I ment with said banjo frame following full reforming movement thereof.

5. A machine for reforming axle housings as claimed in claim 3 wherein said wedge-like portions first actuate 7 said second pairof dies outwardly to said predetermined positions, said wedge-like portions then actuate said first References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 20,103 Spatta Sept. 8, 1936 1,091,751 Morgan et a1. Mar. 31, 1914 1,435,679 Young Nov. 14, 1922 8 Cox 1' MayI S, 1923 Holmes Mar. 4, 1930 Hother sall Sept. 15, '1931 Hollars Sept. 13, 1932 Spatta "Sept. 15, 1933 Spatta May 8, 1934 Carswell et al. July 5, 1949 Hale Sept. 10, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 22, 1931 Germany Sept. 8, 1936