US3634980A

US3634980A - Grinding machine with adjustable workpiece feed

Info

Publication number: US3634980A
Application number: US879695A
Authority: US
Inventors: Diran Deranian; Norman S Hume; Herbert R Uhtenwoldt
Original assignee: Heald Machine Co
Current assignee: Heald Machine Co
Priority date: 1969-11-25
Filing date: 1969-11-25
Publication date: 1972-01-18
Anticipated expiration: 1989-01-18

Abstract

A grinding machine having a rotary workholder and a chute adjacent the workholder with an adjustable escapement to release workpieces one at a time to a transfer arm mounted for pivotal movement and having adjustable holding pins. Various adjustments can be made for different size workpieces.

Description

Enited Mates Patent Deranian et all.

[ Jan. 13, 1972 [54] GRINDING MACHINE WITH ADJUSTABLE WORKIPIECE FEED [72] Inventors: Diran Deranian, Holden; Norman S. Hume; Herbert IR. Uhtenwoldt, both of Worcester, all of Mass.

The Heald Machine Company, Worcester, Mass.

[22] Filed: N0v.25,11969 [21] Appl.No.: 879,695

[73] Assignee:

[52] U.S.Cl. ..5l/2l5 CP,5l/236 [51 Int. Cl ..B24b 41/04 [58] FieldoiSear-ch ..5l/l03,2l5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,741,074 4/1956 Kopczynski ..5 H236 X 3,239,969 3/1966 Perry ..5 l/2 l 5 3,197,921 8/1965 Holder 2,680,939 6/1954 Humes 2,884,747 5/1959 Lehman ..51/2l5 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 679,456 2/] 964 Canada ..51/2l5 20,627 10/1905 Great Britain ..5 H2 l5 Primary Examiner-Harold D. Whitehead Attorney-Norman S, Blodgett [5 7] ABSTRACT A grinding machine having a rotary workholder and a chute adjacent the workholder with an adjustable escapement to release workpieces one at a time to a transfer arm mounted for pivotal movement and having adjustable holding pins. Various adjustments can be made for different size workpieces.

10 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures TABLE will/ml I PATENTED'JANIBIQY? SHEEN. BF 8 INVENTORS DIRAN DERANIAN BYNORMAN s. HUMES B RT R.U TENWOLDT ATTORNEY 33m wwomu PATENTEU JAN] 8 I972 SHEEI 2 OF 8 PATENTEDJAMBBTZ 3'6 34'980 sumaors I PIC-3.3

PATENTED JAN 1 8 m2 saw 5 OF 8 FIG.5

' PATENTED mu m SHEET 7 0F 8 lOl ' FIG. I0

FIG. l4

PATENTED JAN: 81972 SHEET 8 BF 8 FIG.I3

FIGJZ BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the past, when a grinding machine has been used for the finishing of workpieces that differ greatly in size, it has been necessary to change the tooling. This means that the work supports, the work loading and unloading equipment, and the like had to be changed, as well as the abrasive wheel. Although each set of such tools was normally capable of some adjustment within a narrow range, nevertheless, it was necessary to provide a large number of sets of tools for a given machine, so that it would be capable of operating on a wide range of workpieces. Each of these sets of toolings was very expensive and, furthermore, it was a time-consuming operation to change the tooling from one size to another. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.

It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide a grinding machine capable of operation through a wide range of workpiece sizes with a minimum of tool changmg.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a grinding machine capable of handling without difficulty workpieces in a size range from three thirty-seconds of an inch D. to I 9/16 inch 0.0. with widths from Va to 1% inches.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a grinding machine having a loading chute provided with an escapement mechanism which is capable of accommodating a large number of sizes of workpieces and being adjustable so that it operates in a theoretically optimum manner with each size of workpiece.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a grinding machine in which the operative elements for loading, unloading, and supporting the workpiece during grinding are adjustable through a wide range of sizes or can be readily interchanged for other elements permitting the extension of the size range.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a grinding machine having means for supporting a wide range of workpieces during grinding using the roll support method in which the rolls contact at the same radial angularity with respect to the workpiece centerline, irrespective of the size of the workpiece-supporting surface.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a grinding machine having loading, unloading, and supporting elements which can be adjusted and interchanged in such a way as to operate in an optimum manner on any of a large range of workpiece sizes.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In general, the present invention consists of a grinding machine having a base, having a workhead mounted on the base, and having a rotatable spindle adapted to engage and locate a workpiece. A system of rolls are placed equiangularly about the periphery of the workpiece to drive the workpiece about the axis of a surface of revolution to be finished.

An input chute is mounted with one end adjacent the cluster of rollers and an escapement is mounted on the chute to release workpieces one at a time to the axis for the purpose of placing the workpiece in position for grinding. A transfer arm is mounted for pivotal action about an axis through one end parallel to the first-mentioned axis.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by reference to one of its structural forms, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grinding machine embodying the principles of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a portion of the machine,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a loading chute with its escapement,

FIG. 4 is a partially sectioned plan view of a portion of the machine,

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the portion of the machine shown in FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the end of a transfer arm showing adjustable loading fingers,

FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line VII VII of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of the loading fingers on the transfer arm,

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line IX-IX of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view of a still further modification of the loading fingers on the transfer arm,

FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view of a roller support,

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the roller support taken on the line XII-XII of FIG. 11,

FIG. 13 is a modified form of the roller support, and

FIG. 14 is a still further modification of the roller support.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 1, wherein are best shown the general features of the invention, the grinding machine, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, is shown as consisting of a base 11 on which are mounted a table with a wheelhead l2 and a cross-slide with a workhead 13. Means is provided in the usual way to bring about relative longitudinal and lateral motion between the wheelhead and the workhead to produce a grinding operation of an abrasive wheel 14 on a workpiece 15. The grinding machine is of the general type shown and described in I-Iohler US. Pat. No. 3,197,92 l. The workhead is mounted on its own base 16 and is provided with a rotatable roll 16 adapted to locate and drive the workpiece 15 about an axis of an internal bore which is to be finished. A pair of

rollers

17 and 18 are arranged around the axis of the workpiece 15 adjacent one end of the spindle to engage the OD. of the workpiece at equidistant points. An input chute 19 is mounted with one end adjacent the cluster of rollers and an escapement 21 is mounted on the chute to release workpieces one at a time. A transfer arm 22 is mounted at one end for pivotal action about an axis parallel to the first-mentioned axis.

Mounted on the base is a motor 23 which operates through a belt 24 to drive the roll 16, which is much larger in diameter than the rolls I7 and I8 and is the so-called regulating" roll. Another motor 25 operates through a belt 26 to drive a spindle at synchronous speed with workpiece 15 in order to provide axial location of workpiece 15. A hydraulic cylinder 27 is provided with a piston rod 28 which is formed with rack teeth which engage a gear mounted on a horizontal shaft 29. This shaft is provided with a first cam 31 which operates to move the rolls l7 and 18 toward and away from the roll 16, a second cam 32 which operates to move the transfer arm 22 axially of the workpiece, and a third cam 33 which serves to swing the transfer arm 22 about the shaft 34 on which it is mounted. The chute 19 can be adjustably moved up and down by operation of a knob 35, while the escapement 21 is moved toward and away from the chute by means of a knob 36. A diamond dressing apparatus 37 is mounted on the workhead. An output chute 38 underlies the work area to receive finished workpieces.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the construction of the chute and the escapemcnt. A bracket 39 extends at an angle to the base and is provided with

parallel slots

41 and 42 through which the chute 19 is bolted to the bracket. A scale 43 on the chute and an indicator arrow 44 are provided for accurately locating the chute. The knob 35 actuates a screw which is carried in the bracket 39 and engages a nut on the chuteto produce accurate adjustment and locking. Slidably mounted on the bracket 39 is a support 45 which carries the escapement 21. The support 45 is slidably engaged with the bracket 39, and this sliding motion takes place by rotation of the knob 36. A plate 46 is mounted on the support 45 for rocking about a horizontal axis A. Carried on the plate are two transversely

slidable teeth

47 and 48 and a scale 49 mounted on the plate serves to permit the operator to set the

teeth

47 and 48 at suitable distances equidistant of the axis A. A scale 51 is mounted on the bracket 39 to cooperate with an indicator arrow 52 to permit accurate adjustment between the support 45 and the bracket 35 and, therefore, adjustment of the escapement 21 relative to the chute 19. The plate 46 is maintained rotated to its extreme position counterclockwise by a coil spring 53 and a hydraulic cylinder 54 serves to operate it in the opposite direction. FIG. 2 shows the location of the workhead spindle 55 through whose hollow bore extends a gage 56. In FIG. 3 it can be seen that a bolt 57 associated with the tooth 48 is engaged in a slot 58 in the plate 46, while a similar bolt 59 operates in a slot 61. The bolt 59 is associated with the tooth 47, so that, by loosening the

bolts

57 and 59 it is possible to adjust the

teeth

47 and 48 making use of the scale 49 to make sure that they lie symmetrically on opposite sides of the pivot point axis A, Le, that the spacing between them is suitable for any given workpiece Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, which show the arrangement of the gaging apparatus, the gage rod 62 is shown as having a gage head 63 mounted on its free end, an intermediate portion of the rod extending through a housing 64 mounted on a swivel plate. Extending through the swivel plate is a control rod 65 whose free end is provided with a contact head 66 which is contacted by the table as the wheelhead 12 is moved back and forth in a longitudinal direction. The other ends of the gage rod 62 and the control rod 65 are joined by a crosspiece 67 so that they move together. Attached to the rod and extending parallel to it is a feeler pin 68 which, on occasion, makes physical contact with a plate 69 to indicate that the gage head 63 has entered into the bore in the workpiece and that the workpiece size is at a predetermined amount. Extending from the feeler pin 68 outside of the housing 64 is an adjustment knob 71 permitting adjustment of the position of the pin 68 relative to the rod 62. The interior of the housing 64 is provided with a bellcrank 72 which is hingedly mounted on a vertical pivot 73. One end is provided with means to contact the gage rod 62 on a hardened metal button 74 to throw the rod rearwardly on occasion. The other end is rotated normally in a counterclockwise direction by a coil spring 75. It can be rotated in the clockwise direction, however, on occasion, by means of a small hydraulic cylinder 76. An adjustable stop 77 limits the counterclockwise motion of the bellcrank 72. An adjustable stop 78 limits the motion of the

rods

62 and 65 toward the wheelhead.

Notches

79 and 81 operative on the threaded rear portion of the rod 62 serve to permit longitudinal adjustment of the gage to accommodate different widths of workpiece. A coil spring serves to bias the rod 65 in a direction pressed toward the wheelhead. As is obvious in FIG. 4, the gage rod 62 is di vided into two parts, the ends of which lie within the housing 64 and which are joined by a block 82 in which is also mounted the feeler pin 68. The forward end of the rod is mounted in ball bearings 83 within the block 82, while the back end of the rod is slidable within a cavity in the block, but is provided with a coil spring 84. the amount of compression of which is controlled by adjustable nuts 85.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the manner in which the transfer arm 22 at its free end is provided with

parallel pins

86 and 87, which extend parallel to the axis of the spindle and to the workpiece for extending into the bore of a workpiece which is to be transferred. The pin 87 is mounted in a block 88 which is slidable in a groove 89 formed on the surface of the end of the transfer arm. The pin 86 is mounted in a similar block 91 located at the other end of the groove 89. A bolt 92 extends through a slot 93 in the transfer arm, while a similar bolt 94 extends through a slot 95. These slots lie behind the groove 89 and provide for the adjustment of the

pins

86 and 87 toward and away from one another to take care of various sizes of workpieces 157 In practice, the arrangement shown in FIGS. 6

and 7 is used for larger workpieces in the range of workpieces handled by the machine; that is to say, in the range from Kiinch to 5/ l 6-inch I.D.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show the arrangement of

pins

96 and 97 for use in an intermediate range of sizes of workpiece. The pins are soldered in suitable grooves formed in facing surfaces of

blocks

98 and 99. The blocks are guided in the groove 89 and are held in place by the

bolts

92 and 94 operating through the

aforementioned slots

93 and 95. In order to permit the

pins

96 and 97 to approach one another to handle small workpieces, it can be seen that they are of semicylindrical form. As has been stated above, this particular arrangement is adapted for use on the intermediate sizes of workpieces in order of Aa-inch ID. to -inch I.D.

FIG. 10 shows the arrangement for handling small workpieces at the lower end of the range of workpieces handled by the grinding machine. A plug 101 extends from an elongated mounted 103 having a cylindrical shank 104 which extends into a bore 105 formed in a block 106. The shank is held in place by a set screw 107 and the block 106 is held on the transfer arm 22 by a bolt 108 extending through the slot 93. The block is slidable in the groove 89 formed on the face of the transfer arm. Although the centerline of the mount 103 and the plug 101 can be adjusted laterally by use of the bolt 108 and the slot 93, nevertheless, an individual mount with its plug must be furnished for each size of workpiece.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show the manner in which the roll 18 is mounted in a block 1097 A spindle 111 extends through the roll, and

roller bearings

112 and 113 are interposed between them to give the roll a free rotating ability relative to the spindle. The spindle itself extends through apertures 114 and 115 formed in

arms

116 and 117, respectively. The amis extend through suitable bores in the block 109 and are fastened at the outside ends by nuts 118 (see FIG. 1). As is evident in FIG. 12, the shaft 111 extends through the aperture 114 which is elongated in a plane perpendicular to a planejoining the axis of the workpiece with the axis of the roll 18. This permits the angularity of the roll to be adjusted by operation of

setscrews

119 and 121 in what might be termed the roll" mode of adjustment. In other words, the angularity of the axis of the roll 18 can be adjusted by this means by movement perpendicular to the plane joining the axis of the workpiece and of the roll. A conduit 126 is suitably connected at the outboard end of the spindle 111 and connected by passages leading within the roller between the

bearings

112 and 113 for the provision of mist lubrication.

Referring to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the block 109 itself is mounted on a secondary block 122. These two

blocks

109 and 122 are joined by a pivot pin which permits them to be angularly adjusted about the pivot pin in a plane which is parallel to the aforementioned plane joining the centerlines of the workpiece and the roll. This method of adjustment might be termed adjustment in the yaw mode. Similar adjustments are available for the blocks on which the roll 17 is mounted, and all blocks are attached to a pivoted arm which, in turn, is mounted on a horizontal shaft which permits their motion to and from the workpiece in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the workpiece. Now, the construction shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 is for the workpieces in the larger end of the range of workpieces handled by the grinding machine. More specifically, they are intended for sizes from %;-inch OD. to l 9/ l6-inches O.D.

FIG. 13 shows the roll arrangement set up specifically for the intermediate range of workpiece O.D.s. In this case, the roll 123 is mounted on a pair of roller bearings 124 which, in turn, are mounted on a shaft 125. This shaft is mounted on the arm 116 at one end, whereas, at the other end, the arm 117 has been moved inwardly to an intermediate passage through the block 109. At the outboard end of the shaft 125, it is connected to a source of mist lubrication by a conduit 126. The

arms

116 and 117 are provided with suitable setscrews to permit the adjustment of the roll in the roll mode, as has been described in connection with FIGS. 11 and 12 above. This arrangement is intended for workpiece sizes from %inch to inch O.D.

FIG. 14 shows the roll arrangement for use with very small workpieces at the lower end of the range of workpieces handled by the grinding machine. The roll 127 is part of a roller bearing 128 mounted on a shaft 129. This shaft is fixed in a block 131 which is mounted by means of a clamp screw 132 on a block 133. This block 133 is connected to the

arms

116 and 117 to the block 109, The adjustment of the roll can be made by means of the pivot 132 and the tightening of nuts in the usual way associated with the pivot.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, however, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A grinding machine, comprising a. a base,

b. a workhead mounted on the base and having a rotatable spindle adapted to engage and locate a workpiece,

c. a cluster of rollers arranged around the workpiece at equidistant points to drive it about the axis of a surface of revolution to be finished,

d. an input chute mounted with one end adjacent the cluster of rollers,

e. an escapement mounted on the chute to release workpieces one at a time, the escapement consisting of a plate mounted for rocking action about an axis parallel to the aforementioned axis, the plate being provided with two teeth mounted on the plate on opposite sides of its axis for sliding adjustment transversely of the axis, and the plate being mounted on the chute for adjustment toward and away from the chute, so that the teeth can engage the surfaces of various sizes of workpieces at the same optimum angular positions, and

f. a transfer arm mounted at one end for pivotal action about an axis parallel to the first-mentioned axis.

2. A grinding machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the other end of the transfer arm is provided with parallel pins which extend parallel to the first-mentioned axis and wherein the arm is operative to move the pins longitudinally on occasron.

3. A grinding machine as recited in claim 2, wherein the distance between the pins can be adjusted while maintaining them parallel to one another.

4. A grinding machine as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the rollers is of large diameter, is driven, and engages the workpiece at the 3 oclock position, and wherein the other two rollers are of relatively small diameter and engage the workpiece at the l 1 o'clock and 7 o'clock positions, respectively.

5. A grinding machine as recited in claim 4, wherein the large roller is fixed in position, while the two small rollers are mounted on a support for movement together toward and away from the large roller, wherein each roller is mounted for rotation in such a way that its axis can be adjusted angularly in a first plane relative to the first-mentioned axis, and wherein it is also mounted for angular adjustment in a plane perpendicular to the first plane.

6. A grinding machine as recited in claim 1, wherein a shaft is mounted on the base for rotation about an axis parallel to the first-mentioned axis, the shaft carrying a first cam which opens the cluster of rolls, a second cam that moves the transfer arm in the direction of the first-mentioned axis, and a third cam that swings the am.

7. A grinding machine as recited in claim 6, wherein the shaft is provided with a gear-and-rack mechanism actuated by a hydraulic cylinder, and wherein a one-way clutch is interposed in the shaft to permit rotation of the cams in one direction onl 8. A grinding machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the chute is mounted for sliding motion in a vertical plane, and threaded means is provided for producing the motion and locking the chute in a selected position of adjustment.

9. A grinding machine, comprising a. a base,

b. a workhead on the base and having a rotatable spindle adapted to engage and locate a workpiece,

c. a cluster of rollers arranged around the workpiece at equidistant points to drive it about the axis of a surface of revolution to be finished, the size of the grouping of the cluster of rollers being adjustable, so that a wide range of sizes of workpiece may be accommodated,

d. an input chute mounted with one end adjacent the cluster of rollers,

. an escapement mounted on the chute to release workpieces one at a time, the escapement having two teeth which are adjustable for distance between them and for distance from the chute, and a transfer arm mounted at one end for pivotal action about an axis parallel to the first-mentioned axis, the transfer arm having adjustable workpiece-holding pins.

10. A grinding machine as recited in claim 9, wherein the angularity of the axis of some of the rollers relative to the first mentioned axis is separately adjustable in the roll and yaw modes.

Claims

1. A grinding machine, comprising a. a base, b. a workhead mounted on the base and having a rotatable spindle adapted to engage and locate a workpiece, c. a cluster of rollers arranged around the workpiece at equidistant points to drive it about the axis of a surface of revolution to be finished, d. an input chute mounted with one end adjacent the cluster of rollers, e. an escapement mounted on the chute to release workpieces one at a time, the escapement consisting of a plate mounted for rocking action about an axis parallel to the aforementioned axis, the plate being provided with two teeth mounted on the plate on opposite sides of its axis for sliding adjustment transversely of the axis, and the plate being mounted on the chute for adjustment toward and away from the chute, so that the teeth can engage the surfaces of various sizes of workpieces at the same optimum angular positions, and f. a transfer arm mounted at one end for pivotal action about an axis parallel to the first-mentioned axis.

2. A grinding machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the other end of the transfer arm is provided with parallel pins which extend parallel to the first-mentioned axis and wherein the arm is operative to move the pins longitudinally on occasion.

4. A grinding machine as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the rollers is of large diameter, is driven, and engages the workpiece at the 3 o''clock position, and wherein the other two rollers are of relatively small diameter and engage the workpiece at the 11 o''clock and 7 o''clock positions, respectively.

6. A grinding machine as recited in claim 1, wherein a shaft is mounted on the base for rotation about an axis parallel to the first-mentioned axis, the shaft carrying a first cam which opens the cluster of rolls, a second cam that moves the transfer arm in the direction of the first-mentioned axis, and a third cam that swings the arm.

7. A grinding machine as recited in claim 6, wherein the shaft is provided with a gear-and-rack mechanism actuated by a hydraulic cylinder, and wherein a one-way clutch is interposed in the shaft to permit rotation of the cams in one direction only.

8. A grinding machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the chute is mounted for sliding motion in a vertical plane, and threaded means is provided for producing the motion and locking the chute in a selected position of adjustment.

9. A grinding machine, comprising a. a base, b. a workhead on the base and having a rotatable spindle adapted to engage and locate a workpiece, c. a cluster of rollers arranged around the workpiece at equidistant points to drive it about the axis of a surface of revolution to be finished, the size of the grouping of the cluster of rollers being adjustable, so that a wide range of sizes of workpiece may be accommodated, d. an input chute mounted with one end adjacent the cluster of rollers, e. an escapement mounted on the chute to release workpieces one at a time, the escapement having two teeth which are adjustable for distance between them and for distance from the chute, and f. a transfer arm mounted at one end for pivotal action about an axis parallel to the first-mentioned axis, the transfer arm having adjustable workpiece-holding pins.

10. A grinding machine as recited in claim 9, wherein the angularity of the axis of some of the rollers relative to the first-mentioned axis is separately adjustable in the roll and yaw modes.