US3197923A

US3197923A - Apparatus for grinding flanges on structural members

Info

Publication number: US3197923A
Application number: US295692A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leon J Kaczmarek
Original assignee: United States Steel Corp
Current assignee: United States Steel Corp
Priority date: 1963-07-17
Filing date: 1963-07-17
Publication date: 1965-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 1982-08-03

Description

Aug. 3, 1965 L. J. KACZMAREK 3,197,923

APPARATUS FOR GRINDING FLANGES ON STRUCTURAL MEMBERS Filed July 17, 1963 2 Shets-Sheet 1 H I W INVENTOR. j] l( LEON J. KACZMAREK zmwgzzgu A Harney g 3, 1955 L. J. KACZMAREK 3,197,923

APPARATUS FOR GRINDING FLANGES ON STRUCTURAL MEMBERS Filed July 1'7. 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 hrs-L 2- IN VE N TOR.

LEON J KACZMAREK A rrorney sarmzs APPARATUS FUR GRINDING FLANGES N STRUCTURAL MEMBERS Leon .I. Kaczrnarelr, Chicago, 131., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed July 17, 1963, Ser. No. 295,652 3 tllairns. (Cl. 51-179) This invention relates to an improved apparatus for grinding the edge of a flange on a structural member.

In some instances the flange on a structural member must be finished to a closely controlled width. ()ne example is a Z-bar used in a center sill section of a railroad car. Two such Z-bars are placed side-by-side with their upper flanges abutting and welded together to form the sill. The lower flanges have bolt holes which must be aligned accurately with bolt holes in the car frame. Hence the upper flanges must be dimensioned accurately to align the two sets of holes. Conventional practice has been to grind excess metal from overwidth flanges with a portable hand grinder moved back and forth along the flange, and to gage the width repeatedly as grinding progresses. This practice is costly and time-consuming, especially with long structural members.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved grinding apparatus which quickly and accurately grinds a flange to a predetermined width without need for any back-and-forth motion nor for gaging during the grinding operation. 7

A further object is to provide a grinding apparatus which offers the foregoing advantages, yet is of simple construction and readily adjustable for different flange widths. V

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, a preferred form of which is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of my improved grinding apparatus with parts broken away;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view with parts broken away; and

FIGURE 3 is a cross section on line III-dill of FIG- URE 2.

My grinding apparatus includes two spaced-apart angle iron frame members 1d and 12, bolts 13 connecting said frame members, and wheels 14 journaled on horizontal axes on said bolts in the space between the frame members. 0n the upper faces of the frame members I mount a conventional portable electric grinder which includes a handle 15, a motor 16, a shaft guard 17, and a grinding wheel 13; The mounting means includes a plate 19 hinged to the frame members near their back ends'and an inverted U-bolt 2d overlying the grinder motor 16 and fixed to said plate. The underside of the horizontal leg of frame member It) carries a lug 21 in which I mount a pin 22. I attach a plate 23 to the top of the grinder shaft guard 17 with a U-bolt 24. A stem 25 extends through oversize openings in plate 23 and in the horizontal leg of frame member and is threadedly engaged in a tapped opening in pin 22. A hand Wheel 26 is fixed to the upper end of stem 25, and a lock nut 27 is threadedly engaged therewith immediately under plate 23. A compression spring 28 encircles the stem in the space between the frame member 10 and the lock nut 27. The frame members It) and 12 have cutouts 29 to accommodate the grinding wheel 18. I attach a handle 30 to the grinder and another handle 31 to the frame members near their front ends. The vertical leg of frame member 12 carries an elongated bracket 32 to which I adjustably attach an angle iron 33. Bolts 34 are fixed to the top of the angle iron and extend through openings United States Patent 0 "ice in the bracket. Lock nuts 35 are threadedly engaged with bolts 34 on both the top and bottom of the bracket. Wheels 36 are journaled on the angle iron on horizontal axes.

In operation I place the apparatus over the flange F of a structural member with. the

frame members

10 and 12 on opposite sides thereof and the wheels 14 riding along the edge. I adjust the hand wheel 26 so that the grinding wheel 18 also engages the edge of the flange, and tighten the lock nut 27. The hinged connection of plate 19 and the pivotal connection of pin 22 makes such adjustment possible. As the grinding wheel wears, I make further adjustments to compensate. I adjust lock nuts '35 to position wheels 36 so that they engage the web W of the structural member when the flange F has been ground to proper width. I move the apparatus continuously along the edge of the flange and operate the grinder until the Wheels 36 make contact.

From the foregoing description, it is seen that my invention affords a simple apparatus for quickly and accurately grinding an overwidth flange to a predetermined dimension. The apparatus overcomes any need for backand-forth movement of the grinder over the flange and for gaging during the grinding operation. Hence it enables the operation to be performed much faster and at less cost.

While I have shown and described only a single embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I do not Wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for grinding the edge of the flange on a structural member and thereby producing a flange of predetermined width, which member has a web extending perpendicularly to its flange, said apparatus comprising a pair of spaced-apart frame members, wheels journaled between said frame members and adapted to ride along the edge of the flange while said frame members lie on opposite sides thereof, a grinder mounted on the top of said frame members and having a grinding wheel positioned to contact the edge of the flange, and means adjustably mounted on the lower portion of one of said frame members adapted to engage the web of the structural member when the flange has been ground to a predetermined width.

2. An apparatus for grinding the edge of the flange on a structural member and thereby producing a flange of predetermined width, which member has a web extending perpendicularly to its flange, said apparatus comprising a pair of spaced-apart frame members, wheels journaled between said frame members and adapted to ride along the edge of the flange While said frame members lie on opposite sides thereof, a grinder pivotally mounted on the top of said frame members and having a grinding wheel positioned to contact the edge of the flange, means for adjusting the position of said grinder with respect to said frame members to compensate for wear in said grinding wheel, and means adjustably mounted on the lower portion of one of said frame members adapted to engage the web of the structural member when the flange has been ground to a predetermined width.

3. An apparatus for grinding the edge of the flange on a structural member and thereby producing a flange of predetermined width, which member has a web extending perpendicularly to its flange, said apparatus comprising a pair of spaced-apart angle iron frame members, wheels journaled between said frame members and adapted to ride along the edge of the flange while said frame members lie on opposite sides thereof, a grinder pivotally mounted on the top of said members and having a grinding wheel, said frame members having cutouts to accomw modate said grinding wheel whereby said grinding wheel is positioned to contact the edge of the flange, a stem threadedly mounted for adjustment with respect to one of said frame members and operatively connected with said grinder for adjusting the position thereof to compensate for Wear in said grinding wheel, and a pair of wheels adjustably mounted on one of said frame members adapted to engage the web of the structural member when the flange has been ground to a predetermined width.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,410,554 3/22 Dernbach 145-4 2,088,402 7/37 Borck 51-342 2,718,248 9/55 Dimmer 145-4 3,125,833 3/64 Wilde 51-102 LESTER SWINGLE, Primary Examiner.

10 I. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Examiner.

Claims

1. AN APPARATUS FOR GRINDING THE EDGE OF THE FLANGE ON A STRUCTURAL MEMBER AND THEREBY PRODUCING A FLANGE OF PREDETERMINED WIDTH, WHICH MEMBER HAS A WEB EXTENDING PREPENDICULARLY TO ITS FLANGE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACE-APART FRAME, MEMBERS, WHEELS JOURNALED BETWEEN SAID FRAME MEMBERS AND ADAPTED TO RIDE ALONG THE EDGE OF THE FLANGE WHILE SAID FRAME MEMBERS LIE ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, A GRINDER MOUNTED ON THE TOP OF SAID FRAME MEMBERS AND HAVING A GRINDING WHEEL POSITIONED TO CONTACT THE EDGE OF THE FLANGE, AND MEANS ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED ON THE LOWER PORTION OF ONE OF SAID FRAME MEMBERS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE WEB OF THE STRUSTURAL MEMBER WHEN THE FLANGE HAS BEEN GROUND TO A PREDETERMINED WIDTH.