US3423128A - Workpiece positioning mechanism for brushmaking machine - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 21, 1969 H. J. HAzELToN WORK PIECE POSITIONING MECHANISM FOR BRUSIIIVIAKIIIC MACHINE Sheet of 7 Filed May l0, 1966 Jan. 2l, 1969 H. J. HAZELTON WORK PIECE POSITIONING MECHANISM FOR BRUSHMAKING MACHINE S@ figli, l @u e@ wm ww www@ VE www( Aww Nw mw C h? l- C Jan. 21, 1969 H. J. HAzELToN WORK PIECE POSITIONING MECHANISM FOR BRUSHMAKING MACHINE 3 of 'i Sheet Filed May lO, 1966 Jan. 21, 1969 H. J. HAzELroN 3,423,128

WORK PIECE POSITIONING MECHANISM FOR BRUSHMKING MACHINE SheetI Filed May lO, 1966 Jan. 2l, 1969 H. J. HAZELTON 3,423,128

WORK PIECE POSITIONING MECHANIS'M FOR BRUSHMAKING MACHINE Sheet 5 of? Filed May l0, 1966 Sheet 6 of?v Jan. 21, 1969 H. J. HAzELToN WORK PIECE POSITIONING MECHAISM FOR BRUSHMAKING MACHINE Filed May 10, 1966 Jan. 21, 1969 y H. J. HAZELTON WORK PIECE POSITIONING MECHANISM FOR BRUSHMAKING MACHINE Sheet Filed May lO, 1966 United States Patent 3,423,128 WORKPIECE POSITIONING MECHANISM FOR BRUSHMAKING MACHINE Harold J. Hazelton, Batavia, Ill., assignor to Carlson Tool & Machine Co., a corporation of Illinois Filed May 10, 1966, Ser. No. 548,929 U.S. Cl. 300--11 Int. Cl. B26b 1/20; A46d 3/08 6 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This application relates to brushmaking machines and more particularly to an improvement in the mechanism for actuating the brush holders of a brushmaking machine.

Common brush machine operation may require movement of the brush blanks to be fabricated in several different directions relative to the drilling and tufting -means which work upon the brush blank. First it is desirable that the brush blanks be mounted for movement toward and away from the drillers and tufters. Typically this movement is in a vertical plane. In addition, in order to drill and tuft along the length of the brush, it is necessary that movement generally longitudinally of the blank and of the brush machine be provided. To form a plurality of side-'by-side rows for the bristles, it is also necessary that lateral movement relative to the machine be imparted to the brush blank.

Further movement is necessary in the case of brushes which have a contour, such as a hair brush or the like. In such a case, it is desirable to be able to rock the brushes from side to side or pivot them on their mountings so that drilling and tufting to produce a brush with flared bristles may be accomplished. To this end, this invention is directed to an improved means for imparting angular displacement to a brush blank relative to its mounting at a working station so that suitable drilling and tufting operations may be performed on the brush to produce a brush having a flared bristle coniguration.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved brushmaking machine.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a brushmaking machine having improved means for mounting a brush blank for movement in three planes and for pivoting about an axis, all of said movements capable of being accomplished independently of each other.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a brushmaking machine having improved means for imparting angular displacement to a brush blank held at a working station, wherein the degree of angular deflection imparted to the |brush blank responsive to the pivoting thereof may be easily changed to produce brush blanks having different degrees of ared bristle configuration.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a brushmaking machine including the mechanism of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the work table of the brushmaking machine shown in FIGURE 1;

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FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view of a portion of the work table shown in FIGURES l and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary partially broken front elevational view of the work table utilized with the brushmaking machine shown in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 is a section view taken generally along the line 5 5 of FIGURE 2 substantially showing the work table in end elevation;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary enlarged top plan view partially |broken away in section of an end portion of the work table;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary enlarged top plan view of the central portion of the work table;

FIGURE 8 -is a section View taken generally along the line 8 8 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary view illustrating the degree of movement imparted to a brush blank held in a working station when the lever member is in one position; and

FIGURE l0 is a view similar to FIGURE 9 showing the degree of movement imparted to a brush blank of a diiferent configuration when the lever member of this invention is in another position.

FIGURE 1 shows a brushmaking machine 10 generally made in accordance with the prior art and including a pair of spaced uprights 12 and suitable cross members 14 deiining a frame for supporting the several working components of the machine including fabricating means such as drillers 16a and tufters 16b for drilling and tufting brush 'blanks 18 held at working stations of the machine. Motor 20 is connected through suitable drive train mechanism to a shaft 22 which in turn is suitably connected to tufting means 16b for operating the same. Motor 20 is also operatively connected to a ratchet and pawl mechanism 24 which intermittently turns a shaft 26. Cams 28 are mounted on shaft 26 and are utilized to impart diiferent directional movement to components of the machine. In addition, a motor means 30 is provided for operating drillers 16a.

Commonly, brushmaking machines are provided with means for assisting in proper registration of the fabricating means with the brush blank such as a hole iinder 31 and template 31a (FIGURE 1). Brush machine 10 is provided with a bridge 32 which generally supports structure mounting the brush blanks in a position to be worked upon by the fabricating means. Bridge 32 comprises two spaced members 32a and 32h which generally span the lateral extent of the machine between uprights 14. Members 32a and 32b are joined together at each end Iby members 33a and 33h. Each end of bridge 32 has generally upright rails 34 mounted on members 33a and 33b and arranged to track in channels 36 formed in upright guides 38 thereby mounting the bridge for movement in a generally vertical plane.

Forward motion base plates 40 extend transversely across bridge 32 for mounting forward motion posts 42. Bushing means 44 are telescoped about each of the posts 42, each of which includes a pair of spaced bushing blocks 44a and a pair of bushing seal retainers 44b. Each pair of spaced bushing blocks supports a bushing bar 45 which transversely spans bridge 32 generally parallel to plate 40 and spaced vertically thereabove.

A table means, preferably comprising an elongate metal plate 46, is secured to the underside of the several bushing bars 45. Plate 46 has a front to rear depth generally co-extensive with the distance between eac'h of the bushing blocks 46 of a pair and laterally spans bridge 32. Preferably this plate is provided with forwardly and rearwardly depending skirts or lianges 46a and 4617, respectively, which abut the inside faces of the pairs of bushing blocks on each post 42 and generally span the distance between port means includes a base bar 62 secured to the table 46 is mounted for movement in the brushmaking machine in a vertical path through the provision of the vertically movable -mounting of bridge 32 and is also mounted for movement longitudinally of the brushmaking machine (or in a forwardly-rearwardly path in the direction of posts 42) by virtue of the slidable mounting of posts 42 relative to bushings 44a. Thus anything attached to table 46 will also be moved vertically or longitudinally through these arrangements whenever suitable means are actuated for imparting the aforesaid motion to these components.

The table means further includes a plurality of lateral movement bushing blocks 48, secured to the top of the plate 46 at laterally spaced intervals. These bushing blocks 48 extend generally transversely of bridge 32 and plate 46 and generally parallel to posts 42 and provide a means for slidably supporting spaced lateral motion rods 50. Rods 50 are clamped in rod clamps 52 secured to the underside of a pair of spaced transversely extending table shifting bars 54 by fastening means 56. Preferably four rods 50 are utilized, a spaced pair of these rods extending in from each end towards the center where they terminate in spaced relationship to each other. The slidable mounting arrangement of rods 52 in blocks 48 provides a means for mounting bars 54, and any structure secured thereto, for movement laterally relative to the machine and to the drillers 16a and tufters 16b.

Brush support means 60 are mounted to the table shifting bars 54 to provide a means for pivotally mounting brush blanks 18 in a fabricating position. Each brush support means includes a base bar 62 secured to the table shifting bars 54 by suitable fastening means and extending in a generally forwardly-rearwardly direction. An upright end member 66 is mounted at one end of bar 62 and `has an opening 66a, and at the other end an upright end member 68 is mounted, having an end opening 68a generally in axial alignment with opening 66a. These openings 66a and 68a provide a means for pivotally mounting a brush holder 70 so that a brush blank held in the holder may 'be provided with suitable drilled openings and subsequently tufted bristles when the holder is pivoted (responsive to means to be later explained) during the drilling and tufting operation to thereby produce a brush having flared bristles.

Each brush holder 70 includes a base plate 72 and generally upright end plates 76 and 78 adjacent end plates 66 and 68, respectively. Each holder 70 further includes a pair of brush blank gripping members 79 and 80, at least one of which is slidably related to the holder. Both of these gripping members have portions which generally embrace portions of the configuration of a brush blank to provide a means for gripping and holding the blank. The particular configuration of the holders is not a part of this invention and generally such holder means are Well known in the art and thus will not be described in greater detail herein.

Pivot pins 81 are positioned in openings 66a and 76a to pivotally mount holders 70 to supports 60 at the forward end of the table. Pivot pins 82, which extend through openings 68a and 78a to provide a pivotal mounting for holders 70 at the other end of supports 60, have an enlarged end with laterally projecting ear portions 82a. These ear portions are provided with openings 82h to receive a suitable fastening means 83. Fasteners 83 also extend through openings in tenon members 84 to attach the same to pins 82. Tenons 84 are constructed to be received in mortisted arbor adapters 85 which are secured in arbors 86 by pins 87.

Each arbor 86 has reduced shank portions 86a, 86h, and 86C and a threaded end 88. The arbors are rotatably mounted in bearings 89 positioned generally around shank portions 86a and 86C and fitted in openings 90 in housings 92. Each housing 92 is secured to a riser bar 93 which is supported on the rear ends of bushing blocks 48 thereby making housings 92, bar 93 and related structures part of the table means. Lock nuts 94a and 94h are threaded on the threaded end of the arbors to secure the same in the housing.

The central portion 86b of the arbors mounts gear 96 which is in meshing engagement with a rack 98 positioned in notch 100 on the underside of housing 92. Rack 98 extends transversely of the machine, generally parallel to and spaced from plate 46 and bridge 32. Movement of this rack will cause rotation of the several arbors 86 and therefore turn each brush holder 70 to turn brush blanks held therein from side to side.

Rack 98 is movably supported on a plurality of spaced rollers 102. Each roller 102 is secured on the shank (not shown) of a roller pin 104 which extends through an opening in a rank roller mounting block 105 attached to the underside of each housing 92. Pin 104 has a nut portion 104a which is positioned on one side of mounting block 105 and a threaded end 104b which extends through the other side of mounting block 105 and receives a lock nut 106 to secured the pin in block 105 holding the rack roller in a supporting position on the underside or rack 98.

In order to rotate the arbors and therefore pivot the several brush holders 70 from side to side, means 110 are provided for imparting lateral movement to the rack. This means includes a lever member, generally indicated 112, comprising a lever arm 114 having a pair of generally centrally positioned openings 114a and 114b for receiving bushing means 116 to pivot arm 114 relative to a lever supporting base 118 mounted on bars 54.

At one end, arm 114 is pivoted at 120 to connecting link 122 which extends into a slot 124 in riser bar 93. Link 122 is pivoted at its opposite end 125 to a rack block 126 which is secured by lfasteners 128 to rack 98. By Ivirtue of this arrangement, as arm 114 is pivoted about bushing 116, lateral motion will be imparted to rack 98.

At its other end, arm 114 is pivoted at 130 to connecting link 132 which is pivoted at its opposite end, as at 134, to a side motion pivot bar or cross bar 136. Bar 136 is secured to a pair of side motion rods 138 by fastening means 140. Rods 138 extend generally parallel to rods 50 through the bushing blocks 48 to the inside of rod clamps 52. These rods also slidably extend through openings 142 in a table shift cross bar 144 fastened to table shifting mounting bar 54 by fastening means 146.

At the opposite end (see FIGURE l), these bars 138 are secured together by a tie block means 148 slotted at 150 to receive the lupstanding post 152 which extends transversely upwardly through arcuate slot 153. Post 152 is connected to block 154 mounted on the free end of a rod 156 of piston and cylinder device 158 which serves as a `means for holding linkage and its follower against the periphery of side motion cam 26. As shaft 26 rotates cam 28, suitable linkage in following engagement with cam 28 (well known in the art and not shown herein) and connected to post 152 will shift post 152 in slot 153 to laterally move rods 138 causing lever arm 114 to pivot about its bushing 116, and through the connection with link 122 and rack block 126, impart lateral movement to rack 98. This lateral movement, in turn, through the meshing engagement of rack 98 with the several gears 96, will rotate arbors 86 which will cause the brush holders 70 to pivot in their respective mountings in brush supports 60 to thereby deect brush blanks from side to side and permit suitable openings to be bored, and tufting to be inserted into the openings, to produce a brush having a side flared bristle configuration. Through the aforedescribed arrangement this shifting movement and change in the angular disposition of the brush holders can be accomplished independently of any other motion imparted to the table.

For shifting the table laterally, a piston and cylinder device 162 is secured to the underside of plate 46. Rod 164 of piston and cylinder device 162 is connected at its free end to a yoke 166 which extends through opening 168 in plate 46 and is secured to table shift cross bar 144. Since bar 144 is secured to table shifting bars 54, as piston and cylinder device 162 is actuated to move rod 164 inwardly and outwardly relative to the cylinder, this movement, in turn, will be transmitted into lateral shifting of the several brush support means 60 mounted on bars 54. This lateral movement will have no effect upon means 110 since rods 13S are slidably mounted in brushing blocks 48 and cross bar 144. Thus lever 112 is undisturbed as rods 50 impart lateral movement to bars 54 and therefore Support means 60. The tenon 84 and mortised adapter 85 permit the arbors 86 to engage different brush holders 70 as the lateral shifting takes place to alternately place half of the brush supports in a working position and the other half idle so that brush blanks may be moved relative to the idle supports.

A plurality of forward motion posts 172 are secured to a base 174 which extends between some of the housings 92. These posts have a forward end portion with an opening 176 to provide a means for pivotal securement to an arm (not shown) which arm, at its opposite end, may have a follower portion in engagement with one of the cams 28. By means of this arrangement, motion of the table in a forwardly-rearwardly direction may be irnparted so that the table will move in and out on its mounting on bars 42. Since tie block 148 is slotted to allow for such movement, this in and out movement will have no effect upon the means 110 for moving the rack laterally to impart the pivotal motion to the arbor and therefor to the brush holders. Furthermore, this slotted arrangement of tie block 148 permits the vertical movement imparted through bridge 38 to also have no effect upon means 110.

It is to be understood that the lever arm 114 could be provided with several openings such as 114a and 11417 to establish the pivotal mounting of the lever arm to the base 118. The arrangement shown provides a means for pivoting the brush blanks in their holders which means may be easily and readily adjusted so that brushes of different flared configurations may be produced by the machine. Formerly the changes in angular deflection of a brush blank w'ere accomplishedfby replacing the gears 96 on arbors 86. Changing these gears required that the machine be shut down for a substantial period of time and that partial disassembly take place. However, with the aid of the novel means 110 of this invention for imparting lateral movement to the rack, such changes may be easily made by merely changing the pivotal mounting of the lever 114. This is best illustrated in FIGURES 9 and 10. FIGURE 9 shows the cross-sectional configuration of a brush blank 18a which will have a wide angle flare as indicated by the arcs X. Such a flare will be produced when the bushing 116 is positioned in opening 114b of lever arm 114 as is shown in FIGURE 7. Where a brush blank 18b of a different configuration is to be worked upon, as is shown in FIGURE 10, it may be desirable to produce a brush having a lesser degree of flare as indicated by the arcs Y in FIGURE l0. This can be accomplished by changing the pivotal mounting of the lever 114 to opening 114a. It can be readily appreciated that providing more openings in the lever arm would further increase the versatility of this brushmaking machine.

Another advantage of the use of the lever arrangement is to maintain a reasonable ratio between the configuration of the cam from which lateral motion is imparted and the; amount of flare which is desired on a brush back. The alternate points 114a and 114b permit a wide variation in the amount of flare without requiring changes in the configuration of the cam. Using one pivot point, wide angle flare 4motion may be imparted from a cam having a peripheral configuration which is not greatly exaggereated between its major and minor points. Using another pivot point, small flare angle displacement may be imparted -using a -cam wherein the peripheral configuration has more than just minute peripheral irregularities which might be too sensitive for desired results.

This invention provides a novel arrangement for imparting several directional movements to a brush blank held at a work station in a brushmaking machine. In particular, the brush blank may be pivoted in its mounting in the brush holder by the novel structure disclosed herein and this movement may be accomplished independent of the other three planar movements imparted to the brush holder. In addition, the mechanism for pivoting the brush holder is so constructed and secured to the other structure of the -work table as to provide a facile and rapid means for changing the degree of deliection imparted to the brush holders.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as some modifications may be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a brushmaking Imachine having a frame and a plurality of brush holders pivoted to the frame for holding brush blanks during fabrication thereof, means for pivoting brush holders and the blanks held therein, to permit production of brushes with a flared bristle configuration comprising: a lever member pivoted to the frame; gear means on the frame connected to the lever means for movement of the gear means responsive to movement of the lever means; brush holder pivoting gears in operable engagement with the gear means for movement of the brush holder pivoting gears responsive to movement of the gear means and the means on at least one of said pivoting gear and said brush holders for selectively connecting said brush holders to said pivoting gear for actuation thereof.

2. The brush holder pivoting means of claim 1 wherein the lever has a plurality of pivot points for changing the degrees of movement imparted to the brush holder pivoting gear and therefore changing the deliection of the brush holders responsive to movement of the lever.

3. The brush holder pivoting means of claim 1 wherein the connecting means on the brush holder and the pivoting gear are complementary slidably engageable members on each of the pivoting gears and brush holders for connecting the brush holders to the pivoting gears as the brush holder is moved laterally in a plane generally transversely to that of the pivotaing gear.

4. In a brushmaking machine having a base, a bridge mounted in said base for movement in a first plane, a table mounted on said bridge for movement in a second plane, a frame mounted on said table for movement in a third plane, and a plurality of brushholders mounted on the frame for movement with the frame and pivotal movement relative to the frame, means for pivoting the brush holders, comprising; a lever member pivoted to the frame; gear means connected to the lever for movement responsive to movement of the lever; brush holder pivoting gears in the frame operably connected to the gear means for movement of the pivoting gears responsive to movement of the gear means; and mutually engageable connecting means on said brush holders and said pivoting gears for selectively connecting said brush holders and pivoting gears as said brush holders are moved relative to the pivoting gears responsive to movement of the frame.

5. The `brush holder of pivotaing means of claim 3, wherein the lever has a plurality of pivoting points for changing the degree of deflection of the holder responsive to movement of the lever.

6. The brush holder of pivoting means of claim 4 wherein the connection of the brush holders to the pivoting gears is a mortise and tenon connection permitting shifting movement of the brush holders relative to the pivoting gears.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,209,194 12/1916 Olsson 300-11 GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, Primary Examiner.

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