US3102310A - Spinning table assembly - Google Patents

Description

Sept- 1963 w. A. HUNTER 3,102,310

SPINNING TABLE ASSEMBLY Original Filed March 16, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 25 20 92 234 1 40 INVENTOR. 1 81 Z34 WILLIAM A. Hum-r52 1 80 44 BY [ll 72 i ii 74 m 1 4 I ATTY, k

Sept. 3, 1963 Original Filed W. A. HUNTER SPINNING TABLE ASSEMBLY March 16, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I32 \I4Z 6 6 I22 -l4o Z 224 222 174 I'll I74 In" I58 1 t I60 I66 INVENTOR. I92 WILUAM A.|-lu--rsR By M Sept. 1963 w. A. HUNTER 3,102,310

SPINNING TABLE ASSEMBLY Original Filed March 16, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I a ii/14s 120 I26 I22 I24 22 28 I I WW I r J V i I85 INVENTOR.

ISZ WILLIAM A. HUNTER BY 2 2 .flask from the spinning table. ever capable of other uses and flask ramming operations utilizing the mechanism of the present invention may be 3,102,310 SPINNING TABLE ASSEMBLY William A. Hunter, Morton Grove, 111., assignor to F'etti hone Mulliken Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation ofDelaware r 3 Original applicationMar. 16, 1M0, Ser. No. 15,285, now Patent No. 3,061,899, dated Nome, 1962.. Divided and this appiication June 29, 1960, Ser. No. 39,634 v1 Claim. (CI. 22-47) r "The presentinvention relates to apparatus for producing sand molds and has particular reference to the centrifugal casting of metals in the production oftubular articles such as pipe sections and, the like. Specifically; the invention is concerned with automatic means for handling flasks wduring mold forming operations at a foundry ramming station.

I flask handling and mold forming instrumentalities which comprise the present invention have been designed for use primarily in connection with the handling of flasks from the ramming station. From the time a given flask is deliveredto the spinning table until the time that the rammed flask is removed from the table, the mechanism of thepresent invention operates to ceniter the flask upon United 1 states Patent f FIG. 1;

the spinning table, to introduce into. the flask an upper core pattern and a lower base pattern in proper alignmold cavity; and to perform upper core and base pattern mentfwith the flask, to perform the spinning operation 1 while controlling the ramming of sandinto the rotating draw operations preparatory to removal of the rammed I The invention is howcarried out independently of its association with any specific flask handling apparatus.

It is among the principal objects of the present invention to provide a novel spinning table assembly designed for use at a ramming station inthe manner briefly outlined above and including a rotary spinning table proper having means associated therewith whereby, in addition to being mounted for rotation about a vertical axis in the usual manner of operation of such spinning tables, it also capableof vertical shifting moverne'nt so that a pattern base carried thereby may be brought into and removed from operative register with successive flasks which are maintained in' operative positions of vertical register with t the table. x l

Another andequally important'object of the invention is to provide a novel association of a spinning table and I lift carriage to the end that automatic centering operations may be performedon the upper end of successive flasks positioned on the spinning table, as well as to the end that" automatic pattern or mandrel introduction and pat- I tern or mandrel draw operations, in connection with the upper end of such flasks, may effectively be accomplished.

In short, itisa generalobject o f the invention to proin association with certain flask and mold transporting mechanism, will automatically and eifectively perform all of the necessary operations upon successive flasks brought to produce the desired molds. n

.The flask handling and ramming mechanism of th vide a novel flask handling and treating mechanism which,

' to the ramming station incident to ramming of such flasks ent invention;

3,162,310 Patented Sept. 3, 1963 in my copending application Serial No. 15,285, filed on March 16, 1960, for Method of and Apparatus for Producing Sand Molds, now Patent 3,061,899 granted Nov. 6, 1962, and of which application the present one is a true division.

, Numerous ancillary object and advantages of the invention, not at this time enumerated, will become readily apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood.

In the accompanying four sheetsof drawings forming "a part of this specification, one illustrative embodiment FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially centrally and vertically through a spinning table assembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the pres- FIG. Sis a sectional View taken substantially along the line 55 of'FIG. 4' in the direction indicated by the arrows; i

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4 in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 77 of FIG. 3 in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7 in the direction indicated by the lar to FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive the mechanism disclosed in these views constitutes a part of the complete apparatus for producing sand molds shown and described in my copending application Serial No. 15,285, above referred to, and it involves in its general organization a lift frame assembly which has been designated-inits entirety at 10, and which has associated therewith a vertically shiftable lift and centering carriage 12. The carriage 12 is movable between the lowered position wherein it is illustrated in FIG. 1 and the raised position wherein it is illustrated in FIG. 2. The carriage is movable and between these twoextreme positions under the control of an hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly 14.

The lift frame assembly 10 is operatively associated with a spinning table assembly 16, the assemblies 10 and 15 being operatively disposed at a; rammingstation R.

The spinning table 16 is adapted operatively to receive pattern centering and pattern drawassembly which has been designated in its entirety-at .26 and by means of which the upper end of a tubular mandrel or inner core pattern 23, which also isoperativ'ely seated upon'the spinning table 16 and is concentric with the tubular i flask 20, is centered above the table. The flask 20 is provided with a pair of spaced medial flanges 25 and 27 which serve as centering devices to facilitate flask-handling operations both at the ramming station and elsewhere in connection with the transportation of empty flasksv to 3 the ramming station and the removal of the filled flasks and molds from the ramming station in accordance with the overall process of my copending application above referred to.

After the completion of any given ramming operation, during movement of the carriage 12 from its lowered position to its elevated position, the flask Z is released but the inner core pattern 28 is retained by the carriage so that in the elevated position in which it is shown in FIG. 2, the pattern 28 remains suspended preparatory to its reuse during the ramming of a new succeeding flask which is brought into operative ramming position at the ramming station.

The spinning table 16 at the ramming station R is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis under the influence of a fluid motor assembly 30. The fluid motor assembly 30, and also the spinning table 16, constitute elements of a lower pattern draw and flask spinning mechanism 32, this mechanism further embodying hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies 34 by means of which the spinning table 16 may be moved between its elevated operative position and its lowered inoperative position wherein a lower or hub pattern 36 carried thereby is withdrawn from the lower open flanged end 13 of the flask 20.

Still referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive, a fragmentary portion of a rotary flask and mold transfer and upending mechanism has been shown as being positioned adjacent the ramming station R, this mechanism being designated in its entirety at 40. The mechanism 4% is disposed on the side of the spinning table 16 remote from the lift frame assembly 10. The mechanism 40' forms the subject matter of my copending application Serial No. 15,492, filed on March 16, 1960, for Rotary Flask and Mold-Transfer and Upending Mechanism, now Patent 3,062,388, issued Nov. 6, 1962. Reference may be had to such application for a full understanding of the nature and operation of the mechanism but, for purposes of description herein to show its operative association with the flask ramming instrumentalities of the present invention, it is suflicient to state that the mechanism as is in the form of an oscillatory turret assembly 42 which is mounted for rotation in opposite directions about a vertical axis on a stationary turret base 44. Projecting outwardly in opposite directions from the turret assembly 4 2 are a pair of flask handling jaw assemblies or cradles, one of which has been shown at 46, each assembly having associated therewith a pair of releasable flask-clamping jaws 50. The jaws 50 are movable between a closed flask-clamping position and an open flask-releasing position under the control of a fluid operated actuator 52 in the form of a piston and cylinder assembly associated with the turret assembly 40.

The turret assembly 40 forms no part of the present invention, nor do the jaw assemblies associated therewith, except insofar as these jaw assemblies cooperate with the vertically shiftable spinning table 16 in maintaining the successive flasks brought to the ramming station R properly oriented and in vertical register with the table above the same for mold assembly operations as will be described subsequently. The turret assembly 40 is adapted to be periodically indexed through an angle of 180 under the control of a fluid motor (not shown) and which is enclosed within the turret base 44. The two jaw assemblies 46 are rotatable about a common horizontal axis and they are capable of being rotated in unison through an angle of 90 so that an empty flask 20 which may be deposited in the one of the jaw assemblies at a receiving station on the side of the turret assembly remote from the spinning table 16 may be upended and delivered to the ramming station R in a vertical position, while at the same time, a flask 20 containing a mold which has been spin-formed at the ramming station R may be received by the other jaw assembly in a vertical position and, by a declining operation, delivered back to the receiving station. The upending and declining operations above referred to take place during indexing of the turret 42. The present invention is not limited in its use to association with the specific flask handling mechanism briefly outlined above since other forms of flask handling mechanisms may be designed which will successively position empty flasks at the ramming station in the proper positions of register with the spinning table and with the various pattern applying and pattern withdrawing instrumentalities of the present invention and which are about to be described in detail.

The lift frame assembly 10 appears in FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive and it involves in its general organization a. supporting base 70' which may be bolted as at 72 or otherwise secured on the foundry floor 74 or other supporting surface. Projecting vertically upwardly from the base 70 is a cylindrical standard 76 of appreciable height. In the upper regions of the standard 76 there is provided a pair of diametrically disposed rails 78 which extend vertically along the standard on opposite sides thereof. Gusset webs 80 are formed on the base 70 and lower regions of the standard 76 for reinforcing purposes. The standard 76 has formed thereon a pair of vertically spaced bosses 82 and 8d respectively. The boss 32 serves to support thereon the lower end of an elongated vertically disposed cylinder 86 which constitutes one of the principal elements of the previously mentioned piston and cylinder assembly 14. The upper end of the cylinder 36 is supported by the upper boss 84. A piston 88 is reciprocable in the cylinder 86 and has connected thereto a piston rod or plunger 90. The upper end of the plunger 90 is connected to the vertically shiftable lift and centering carriage 12. The opposite end regions of the cylinder 86 are provided with fluid ports 92 and 94 respectively which may be operatively connected through respective fluid lines 96 and 98 to a suitable control valve (not shown) which may be either manually operable or automatic and by means of which fluid under pressure is selectively applied to the ends of the cylinder for plunger extension and retraction purposes.

The vertically shiftable lift and centering carriage 12 may be in the form of a casting including a base portion 100 to which the upper end of the plunger 90 is attached. An arm 102 extends vertically upwardly from the base portion and has a laterally turned bifurcated end 164 which straddles the standard 76 and carries a pair of rollers 1% designed to travel on the respective rails 78. A hyperbolic roller M8 is carried on a pin 110 which extends across the bifurcations at the top of the arm 102 and is adapted to bear against the outer surface of the standard '76. The carriage 12 is thus constrained to move tractionally along the standard 76 under the influence of the piston 92 and plunger 90.

An arm 112 extends laterally and horizontally from the base portion 100 of the carriage 12 and terminates in a central hub 114 from which there extends radially outwardly a series of three spider arms 116. Each arm carries one of the centering rollers 22 of generally frustoconical design, the various rollers being mounted On suspension pins 126 which depend from the outer ends of the respective arms 116. As will be set forth in greater details presently, the centering rollers are adapted, when the carriage 12 is in its lowermost position, to straddle the circular flanged end of a flask 20 undergoing ramming at the ramming station.

As best seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, the inner core pattern 28, which hereinafter will be referred to as the mandrel, is in the form of a cylindrical tubular member, the upper rim of which is recessed as at 122 to provide a seat for a centering plate 124. A shaft 126 extends upwardly from the central regions of the plate 124 and projects into a central bore 123 which is formed in the hub 114- of the lift carriage 12. The upper end of the shaft 126 is reduced as at and receives thereover a lift collar 132. A bearing assembly 134 seats on the collar 132 and a retention nut 136 is threadedly received on the exof the reduced"portion-130 of the shaft ii 126, ;w71 h e" underneathside'of the hub. 1-14 is recessed asat 138 to provide for aseal -assembly 140. The bore 128, isiprovidedkwith. an, internal shoulder142 which underlies th ejlift collar 132 and constitutes a lift shoulden-by means of whichthelrotatable mandrel 28 is ele- .vated and lowered .bodily as a unit jwiththe carriage .12. A cover plate l44 closes the upper end of the bore H1112 8,\andfis; removably held by screws 146 in position overqthe-"bore. f i

.Referringgnow to'FIGSo4 and wherein th'e details 3 of the spinning table assembly 32 are best 'shown, the

lower end region ofajj1flask'20is1shown as being operatively positioned on thje upper surface148 of, the rotary i spinning table 16, the various flasks being successively delivered to and removed from the tableby the rotary n sr in the d upending -mechanism- 40. x The spinning table rm offs. boasting including a tubular sleeve :portion 154froin the upper portion of which the table -proper 1 156iextends, radially outwardly. The sleeve pori on" 154 -is rrot'ata-bly supported by meansof upper and w lower bearing assemblies 157 and 159 respectively upon i .a vertically shiftable butnon-rotatable pedestal 158. The lower end of which is provided with a pedestal base 160. bas e -1 60-is bolted as :at 162 toa crosshead 164. A

cylindrical sheet met-al apron 1 66 depends from the peripheral regions of the table proper '156 and serves to shieldth'e pedestal 154;;as Welles certain other instru- 1. f mentalitiesj associated with the assembly 32 and which will be described subsequently in detail.

. f- Referringnowadditionally to FIG 4, the, crosshead 164 extends between'and servesff'to'operatively connect a pair' of vertically reciprocable cylinder units 163, each unitlconstituting a principal component of oneofthe previously mentioned piston and cylinder assemblies 34. 3 Each assembly 34 involves inits general organization 3 w a cylinder proper 170,}the upper end of whichis secured i in the crosshead 164 and the lower end of which is secured in acylin-der cap '172. The two cylinders 170 are vertically reciprocable in unison and they are guidedin their below the piston 5176 respectively, by means of flexible fluid lines 178 and :180leading from a suitable control l i valve (not shown) which, intu'rn, is operatively connected to a sourceo-f fluid under pressure. The crosshead 164 and caps 172 are connected together by tie rods 182.

The stationary piston rods174 have their lower ends reduced as at 184, and these reduced portions are suri roundedby bushings 186 which, in turn, are centered in pilot-blocks 1 88weldedas at 1'90 to a base plate 192.

A cylindrical ,casingf194 is welded as at 195 to the base plate 192 and! projects upwardly and extends in telescopic fashion into the flower open rim 196 of the skirt 166.

An anchor ring 198 for the upper ends of the piston rods 174 is seat-ed on the upper rim 200 of the casing 194 and is'formed with acentral opening 202 through which the. I I lower regionof the tubular sleeve portion 1540f the spinning table 16 is adapted to project. A pair of bushings 2114 are mounted at diametrically disposed points on theanchor ring 19,8"and receives therein the upper ends of the respective piston rods 174. V

"The fluid motor 30 is of conventional design: and no claim is madei herein to any novelty associated with the same. It is deemed ,suflicient forpu'rposes of disclosure and description herein to staterthatthe motor 30 includes a cylindrical casing 210 having a rim flange 21zwhieh' is bolted as at 214 to the underneath side (new crosshead 164g; ,Intake and exhaust fluidlines are designated at 216 and :218respeetively and,- upon-admission of fluid to i i the casing 210, the output shaft 220 of the motor is caused toirotarte in the desireddirection. The motor shaft 220 i sembly 22 2 to a shaft 224, the upper end of which is threadedasat 226 and threadedly receives thereon an alignment cone 228 for centering a pattern base member or hub pattern 230 on the table suriace 148.. The hub pattern is provided with a contoured surface 232 of any desired configuration; as for example, that of the lower .hu b or bell of a metal pipe section subsequently to be cast by a centrifugal casting process in the pipe molds undergoing formation by the present spinning apparatus. The hub. pattern is concentric with the circular table proper 156 and, during flask spinning operations, the lower flanged end 18 of the flask 201's centered about the hub pattern1230 by'rnean-s of centering guides 234 (FIG. 5) disposed at equally spaced regions around the peripheral regions of ,thetable proper 156.

Intheoperation of the presentapparatus, upon arrival of the jaw assembly 50 at the ramming station, the axis of the flask 20 carried thereby will extend vertically and, as shown in FIG. 2, the flask will be maintained in an elevated position above the level of the spinning table 16 Y which, all. that time, is in its lowermost position. The

lowerend of the mandrel 28 which is supported by the vertically shiftable lift and cehteringcarriage 12 will assume an elevated position above the level of the upper end of theflask 20 with the mandrel 28 poised, so to speak, :for subsequent descent into the flask. In this position of the flask 20, the axes of the spinning table, the

- flask and the mandrel are in verticalalignment.

With the flask 20 thus in its final position at the ramming station R, fluid is supplied through the fluid lines 178 to the ports 177 associated with the hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies 168. The admission of fluid to. the upper ends of thecylinders'17t) above the pistons 176 associated therewith will cause the previously lowered cylinders to become elevated to the'positionin which they appear in FIG. 4. Such elevation of the cylinders 170 .will cause the crosshead 164 to become elevated and the latter, acting through the pedestal 158, will cause the spinning t-able16 to move into operative register with the lower flanged end 18 of the vertically disposed flask 20 carried by the jaw 50, the centering guides 234 serving to maintain the end 18 centered upon the table proper-156.

Upon movement of the parts into such operative register, fluid under pressure is supplied to the port 94 through the fluid line 98 to drive the piston 88 and its plunger 90 downwardly to effect lowering of the lift. carriage 12, and consequently of the mandrel 28. The mandrel is thus lowered into the upper end or" the flask 20 and the alignment: cone 228 causes'the lower end of the mnadrel to become seated and centered upon the hub pattern 239 as shown in FIG. 4. In this position of the parts, the upper flanged end 24 of the flask is centered-between the three rollers 22 preparatory to initiation ofthe flask spinning operation and charging of the mold cavity.

. During the spinning operation, a stationary sand slinger,

a fragment of which has been designated at 250, and which is of conventional design, is adapted to deliver sand in the form of wads or sings to, the cavity which exists between the cylindrical wall of the flask 20 and the mandrel23. These wads are deliveredto the flask after the flask and 3 1 pattern have been properly positioned and'centered upon the. upp r surface of the table proper and while the table is 'being rotated under the influence of the fluid motor-39. The seed of rotation of the flask 20' will control the density of the sand moldformed in the flask as is well known intheart.

In order to initiate spinning operations, fluid'is admitted to the hydraulic motor 30 through the intake fluidline 216, the output shaft 220 serving to drive the spinning table 16 through the coupling assembly 222 and a shaft 224. Weds V of sandare fed to the flask from the slinger 250 in the manner'previously described and, after the sand mold has been formed, spinning operations are terminated and fluid is supplied to the port 92 of the piston and cylinder as embly 14 through the fluid line 96 to cause the carriage 12 to be elevated. Elevation of the carriage 12 causes the mandrel 28 to be raised, thus effecting the upper pattern draw operation. Sirnliarly, fluid is supplied to the ports 17 9 of the piston and cylinder assemblies 168 through the fluid lines 186 to lower the cylinders proper 170 and crosshead 164, thus lowering the spinning table 16 and effecting the lower pattern draw operation to free the flask with the mold contained therein for subsequent conduction by the jaw 56 of the transfer mechanism away from the ramming station.

The invention is n-ot'to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. Only insofar as the invention has particularly been pointed out in the accompanying claim is the same to be limited.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A spinning table assembly comprising in combination a fixed base plate, a pair of spaced piston rods extending vertically upwardly from said base plate, a piston on each rod medially thereof, a cylinder mounted for vertical reciprocation on each rod and encompassing the piston thereon, a crosshead extending between said cylinders and movable bodily with the cyhnders as a unit, an elongated pedestal mounted on the crosshead and projecting vertically upwardly therefrom, a spinning table rotatably mounted on the pedestal for rotational movements about avertical axis, said spinning table including a horizontal circular table portion and a depending sleeve portion, said sleeve portion encompassing the pedestal, anti-friction bearings interposed between the sleeve portion of the table and the pedestal adjacent the upper and lower ends of the latter respectively, a base pattern reniovably disposed on the spinning table, said spinning table being movable between a raised position where-in the base pattern thereon is adapted to be projected into the lower open end of a vertically disposed flask supported above the spinning table, and a lowered position wherein the base pattern is withdrawn from the flask, a motor mounted on the crosshead beneath the same for movement bodily therewith, said motor having a drive shaft projecting upwardly through the cross'head and pedestal, means establishing adriving connection between the upper end of the drive shaft and the spinning table, and means for selectively supplying motive fluid simultaneously to the upper ends and to the lower ends of said cylinders, respectively, to eflect vertical movements thereof'and consequent vertical movements of the crosshead, pedestal and spinning table.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 349,461 Shickle Sept. 21, 1886 1,544,062 Dirnick June 30, 1925 1,684,858 Buente Sept. 18, 1928 2,875,482 Hamilton et al. Mar. 3, 1959

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