US3420357A

US3420357A - Cooling bed

Info

Publication number: US3420357A
Application number: US613537A
Authority: US
Inventors: Karl A Eck
Original assignee: Des Eng Con Corp
Current assignee: Des Eng Con Corp
Priority date: 1967-02-02
Filing date: 1967-02-02
Publication date: 1969-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 1986-01-07

Description

Jan. 7, 1969 Filed Feb. 2, 1967 FIG K. A. ECK

COOLING BED Sheet g KARL A. EGK

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Jan. 7, 1969 K. A. ECK 3,420,357

' COOLING BED Filed Feb. 2. 1967 Sheet 3 of 2 F I IQ KARL A. EOK

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,420,357 COOLING BED Karl A. Eck, Reading, Pa., assignor to Des-Eng-Con Corporation, Reading, Pa. Filed Feb. 2, 1967, Ser. No. 613,537 U.S. Cl. 198-219 Int. Cl. B65g 25/04 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Cooling beds of the type which comprise a carryover bar section having a plurality of stationary notched bar members which receive work bars from a run-in table section that adjoins the carryover bar section at the receiving side thereof; a plurality of interconnected notched transfer bar members that are moved (a) upwardly and longitudinally in one direction to transfer work bars sequentially from one set of notches to the adjacent set in the stationary notched bar members, and (b) downwardly and longitudinally in the opposite direction to return to the original position such that the notched transfer bar members transverse an elliptical path to sequentially transfer work bars transversely across the carryover section to the discarge side therof; and transfer means for imparting the aforementioned elliptical movement to the notched transfer bar members in order to impart such an elliptical or circular movement to the notched transfer bar members. In order to impart such an elliptical movement to the notched transfer bar members it is necessary that the transfer means support the notched transfer bar members and thereforethat the transfer means be fabricated from relatively massive components. This massiveness of the transfer means, however, complicates the design of the mechanism employed to impart an elliptical movement. Consequently the cost of the transfer means represents a major portion of the expense of a cooling bed carryover bar section.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a cooling bed carryover bar section with transfer means of novel design. A further object is to provide transfer means having a simplified construction which imparts elliptical or circular movement to notched transfer bar members, these and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross section of a cooling bed carryover bar section illustrating the transfer means of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical side view in elevation of the FIG. 1 cooling bed carryover bar section, with portions appearing in cross section; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view in partial cross section of one of the operating elements of the FIG. 1 cooling bed carryover bar section.

This invention relates to the mechanism for imparting elliptical or circular periodic motion to the notched transfer bar section of a cooling bed carryover bar section. This mechanism comprises means for imparting reciprocal vertical motion to the transfer bar section and 3,428,357 Patented Jan. 7, 1969 means for imparting simultaneous reciprocal longitudinal motion to the transfer bar section. The vertical motion imparting means comprises left and right hand vertical actuating means positioned on opposite sides of the carryover bar section and separately actuable in unison. Each vertical actuating means mounts a roller adapted to carry a depending rail of the transfer bar section. The longitudinal motion imparting means comprises a pivot assembly adapted to reciprocally shift the transfer bar section on the rollers regardless of the vertical position of the transfer bar section and independently of the vertical actuating means. 'In the usual installation several sets comprising a left and a right hand vertical actuating means and a longitudinal actuating means will be spaced along the course of the carryover bar, e.g., at 20-foot intervals with the in-line actuating means drivingly interconnected in the usual manner.

As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, a typical cooling bed carryover bar section for use with the present invention comprises a plurality of notched stationary bar members 10 supported at their end sections on transverse stationary left and right hand I-

beams

12 and 14 which in turn are supported from a foundation by bearing stands 16 and 18, and a plurality of notched transfer bar members 20 supported at their end sections on transverse left and right hand transfer 'I-

beams

22 and 24 which are stiffened at spaced intervals by longitudinal separator I-beams 26 extending therebetween.

The transfer means 30 of this invention comprises left and right hand actuating means 32 and 34 for imparting vertical motion to the notched transfer bar members 20. Each vertical actuating means comprises an actuating member 35 that is pivotally mounted to the respective bearing stand by a bearing assembly 44 which enclose-s a pin 46 for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis. Each actuating member 35 comprises a counterweight lever arm 48 on which rests a counterweight 50, a drive lever arm 52 for attachment to a reciprocating connecting rod or rods 56, and a transfer 58. The transfer arm 58 of each actuating member pivotally mounts a roller housing 60 at an upper end section thereof by a bearing assembly 62 which encloses a pin 64 extending between parallel walls of such upper end section. Each roller housing 60 is maintained in vertical alignment during vertical movement by an equalizing link 66 pivotally attached to the

respective bearing stand

16, 18 and roller housing 60 such that a parallelogram relationship exists bet-ween the

components

58, 60 and 66. As shown in FIG. 1, the lower end section of each roller housing 60 is inwardly offset so that each respective equalizing link 66 clears the

respective bearing stand

16 or 18. The upper end section of each roller housing 60, above the pin 64, comprises a yoke having upstanding legs 67-68 between which a roller 69 is journal-mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis oriented perpendicularly to the

transfer bar members

10 and 20. A rail member 70 is attached to the underside of each transfer beam 22-24 and is provided with an underside wear plate 71 that rides on the roller 69 between the side flanges thereof. Thus, the notched transfer bar members 20 are vertically supported and longitudinally movable on rollers 69.

The transfer means 30 of this invention also comprises longitudinal actuating means for imparting horizontal motion to the notched transfer bar members 20. The longitudinal actuating means 80 comprises a vertical bearing rod 81 journal-mounted with a vertical shaft 82 of a bearing stand 83, and upper and

lower pivot arms

84 and 85 attached to the upper and lower ends of bearing rod 81 perpendicularly to one another. The outer end of the lower pivot arm 85 is suitably attached to a reciprocating connecting rod 86 extending parallel with the connecting rods 56. The upper pivot arm 84 is attached to a connecting rod 87 by means of a ball and knuckle joint 88. The opposite end of connecting rod 87 is attached to an appendage 89 of one of the transfer beams, beam 24 in the figures, by means of another ball and knuckle joint 90. The pivot arms 84-85 are appropriately sized to transfer the desired amount of reciprocal movement to connecting rod 87 from a given stroke of connecting rod 86.

The transfer means of this invention operates in the following manner. Connecting rods 56 are reciprocated in unison, as from a common power source, thereby swinging the left and right hand actuating members 35 about their pivot points 46 to vertically reciprocate the left and right hand roller housings 60. This vertical reciprocating movement is transferred to the transfer bar members through left and right hand rollers 69, rail members 70 and transfer beams 22-24.

Simultaneously with the reciprocation of connecting rods 56, connecting rod 86 is reciprocated by a suitable power source. Reciprocal movement of connecting rod 86 is transferred to connecting rod 87 by means longitudinal actuating means 80. This longitudinal reciprocal movement is transferred to the transfer bar members 20 through appendage 89 and transfer beam 24 such that rail members 70 roll back and forth on their respective rollers 69.

The simultaneous vertical and longitudinal reciprocal movement are superimposed to effect an elliptical or circular movement of the transfer bar members 20. These reciprocal movements are timed, relative to one another, such that the transfer bar members are shifted upwardly and longitudinally forward to carry cooling stock from one set of fixed notches to an adjacent set, and are shifted downwardly and longitudinally rearward to return to their original position. Because the connecting rod 87 is mounted in ball and socket joints, the longitudinal reciprocal movement can occur without binding as the vertical reciprocal movement takes place.

It is believed that the invention will have been clearly understood from the foregoing detailed description of the illustrated embodiment. Changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and it is accordingly intended that no limitations be implied and that the hereto annexed claims be given the broadest interpretation to which the employed language fairly admits.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusi-ve property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A cooling bed carryover bar section comprising a plurality of notched stationary bar members; a fixed framework for supporting said stationary bar members; a plurality of notched transfer bar members alternating with said stationary bar members; a movable framework for supporting said transfer bar members; vertical actuating means positioned beneath said transfer bar member framework and on opposite sides thereof, each vertical actuating means comprising an actuating member mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis parallel to the longitudinal course of the transfer bar members, a roller housing pivotally connected to said actuating member for raising and lowering in a vertically aligned position, and a roller journal-mounted to said roller housing for rotation about a horizontal axis aligned perpendicularly to the longitudinal course of the transfer bar members; and longitudinal actuating means positioned beneath said transfer bar member framework, each longitudinal actuating means comprising a pivot assembly mounted independently of said vertical actuating means and having a lever arm pivoted about a vertical axis, and means interconnecting said lever arm and said transfer bar member framework such that pivoting of said pivot assembly effects longitudinal movement of said transfer bar member framework without binding as vertical reciprocal movement of said transfer bar member framework takes place with concommitant lateral movement effected by the swinging action of said actuating member about its horizontal .pivot axis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said roller is mounted vertically above the pivotal connection of said housing with the respective vertical actuating means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said interconnecting means comprises a connecting rod attached to said pivot assembly by a knuckle joint and attached to said transfer bar members by a knuckle joint such that said transfer bar members are longitudinally movable at any vertical position effected by said actuating means.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fixed framework for supporting said stationary bar members includes bearing stands, and each actuating member is pivotally mounted to an adjacent bearing stand; and wherein each roller housing comprises an upper yoke having upstanding legs between which the respective roller is journal-mounted and a lower end section inwardly offset, and wherein each vertical actuating means includes an equalizing link pivotally connected at one end to the lower end section of the respective roller housing and pivotally connected at the opposite end to the respective bearing stand.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherin said movable framework includes left and right hand transfer beams supportedly carrying said transfer bar members, and longitudinal separator beams extending between and stiffening said left and right hand transfer beams; and wherein rail members are affixed to the underside of each transfer beam adjacent the ends of said separator beams and supportably carried by the rollers of said vertical actuating means.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the longitudinal actuating means pivot assembly includes a vertical bearing rod, a vertical shaft journal-mounting said vertical bearing rod, and wherein said lever arm is fixedly secured to one end of said bearing rod, and including a pivot arm fixedly secured to the opposite end of said hearing rod perpendicularly to said lever arm, and a reciprocating connecting rod attached to the outer end of said pivot arm and extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal course of the transfer bar members; and wherein said vertical actuating means includes reciprocating connecting rods, each attached to an actuating member and extending parallel to the pivot arm connecting rod.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,128,651 4/1964 Peterson l98219 3,265,187 8/1966 Hein et al. 198-219 X FOREIGN PATENTS 395,618 7/1933 Great Britain.

EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

M. L. AJEMAN, Assistant Examiner.