US3712093A

US3712093A - Apparatus for handling cylindrical blanks

Info

Publication number: US3712093A
Application number: US00109394A
Authority: US
Inventors: M Rackow
Original assignee: Parker Pen Co
Current assignee: Bankers Trust Co
Priority date: 1971-01-25
Filing date: 1971-01-25
Publication date: 1973-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 1990-01-23

Abstract

Apparatus for handling cylindrical blanks where an infeed mechanism successively feeds the blanks into a forming machine and a check on the infeed varies the presentation speed of the blank for hammering and a removal mechanism strips the hammered blanks from the apparatus.

Description

United States Patent m1 Rackow I 1 Jan. 23, 1973 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING 2.4l6,048 2/1947 Evans ..72/420 CYLINDRICAL BLANKS 1,162,301 11/1915 Moffet 72/3 3,452,577 7/1969 Schrneltzer ..72/427 [75] inventor: Martin L. Rackow, Janesville, WIS.

Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham [73] Assignee: The Parker Pen C0.,.lanesv|lle,Wis.

Filed: Jan. 25, 1971 Appl. No.: 109,394

US. Cl. ..72/3, 72/421, 72/427 Int. Cl ..B21d 55/00, B2ld 43/00 Field of Search ..72/3, 420, 421, 427

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS Sager ..72/420 Assistant Examiner-R. M. Rogers Attorney-John E. Fabke and Howard M. Herriot [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for handling cylindrical blanks where an infeed mechanism successively feeds the blanks into a forming machine and a check on the infeed varies the presentation speed of the blank for hammering and a removal mechanism strips the hammered blanks from the apparatus.

3 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 23 W5 SHEET 1 [IF Q I Inventor Muffin LuRackow PATENTED JAN 2 3 1975 SHEET 2 [IF 4 I m'veni'o r PATENTEDJANZB ms 3,712,093

Mum rzkor Marfirz L.Rackow' APPARATUS FOR HANDLING CYLINDRICAL BLANKS BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION It will be recognized by those skilled in the art, that a cylinder being fed into the hammers of a swaging machine, should be advanced at a controlled rate of speed. In the interests of economics, all other movement of the feeding apparatus should be at a relatively faster speed. By checking the advance movement as the blank enters the swaging machine, maximum efficiency of production is achieved and parts of uniform proportions are delivered from the forming apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With the foregoing in mind, it is a principal object of this invention to provide improved apparatus for handling cylindrical blanks in association with a swaging machine for the formation of uniformly accurate cylindrical parts.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus which is economically feasible for installation in a system in which cylindrical blanks are fed into and removed from a swaging'machine.

A feature of this invention is the provision of increased production capacity where cylindrical blanks are being successively fed from a supply.

An additional object of this invention is to provide novel means for feeding onto and removing from an arbor, cylindrical blanks.

Further objects and features as well as advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description of an illustrated embodiment thereof proceeds andis given for the purpose of disclosure and is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in'which like character references designate like partsthroughout the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION 'OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the several figures and first to FIG.

1 there is shown cylindrical blanks which are conveyed to a chute 22 adapted for handling cylindrical blanks embodying this invention in an oriented relationship so that their axes are relatively parallel.

FIG. 1 is a right hand perspective view of apparatus incorporating the principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a left hand perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1, showing magazine and automatic feeding mechanisms;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view showing a sectioned cylindrical blank on an arbor;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the magazine and automatic feeding mechanism;

I FIG. 4 is a vertical view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4 lookingin the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a fragmentary portion of the-hold-down'portion of the magazine;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the automatic feeding mechanism;

FIG. 8 is anelevational view of'the apparatus shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a top *plan view of theapparatus shown in FIG. 1 illustrating thcapparatus rotated from the swagingmachine;

FIG. 10 is an elevational view of the unloading mechanism; and

FIG. 11 is a sectional viewtaken along the line lI-- IIof'FIG'. '10 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The blanks 20 are positioned in a continuous series and move through the chute 22 toward a hold-down mechanism 24 (FIG. 10). The hold-down mechanism includes a clamp 26 contoured to engage the exterior surface of a blank at the feed end of chute 22 where blank is in a position to be fed from the chute. Said chute includes a stop 28 which holds the bottommost of the cylinder blanks in a position to be fed axially therefrom for further processing. The contoured surface of the clamp 26 is reciprocal and is held against the exterior surface of a blank which has its side nesting against stop 28 with such a force as to create a substantial drag when the blank is moved in axial direction as during feeding of the blank onto an arbor 34. The reciprocal movement of the clamp may be controlled by any suitable means such as air clamp 30. A suitable air clamp is manufactured by Mead Fluid Dynamics, A Division of Mead Specialties Co., 41 14 N. Knox Avenue, Chicago, Ill. 60641 and sold as a midget air clamp, Model H-l.

The blank being held down by clamp 26 is in position to be fed by an automatic feed mechanism 32 (FIG. 1) onto the arbor 34 around which the part will be formed by a conventional rotary swaging machine 36 having a .plurality of rotating hammers for forming the blank about the arbor.

As shown in FIG. 9 the automatic feeding mechanism of this invention is secured to a mounting bracket 38 which is hinged to the rotary swaging machine 36 at 40 so that the feeding mechanism can be rotated away from the swaging machine for maintenance purposes. Toggle clamps 42 attached to the swaging machine 36 secure the feeding mechanism to the swaging machine during operation.

The automatic feeding mechanism 32 is mounted on a base 44 which is securely fastened to mounting bracket 38. A cylinder mount 46 is connected to base 44 by tie bars 48. A front guide bushing 50 is connected to base 44 and a rear guide bushing 52 is connected to cylinder mount 46. A stationary rack 54 is mounted between the base 44 and the cylinder mount 46. The teeth of the stationary rack 54 are engaged by a round rack 56, the teeth of which in turn engage a feed rack 58 which is slidably mounted for axial movement in the

bushings

50 and 52. Thus, as round rack 56 moves along stationary rack 54, rack 56 moves feed rack 58 in the same relative direction that the round rack is moving. The arbor 34 is attached for axial movement to one end of feed rack 58 by suitable means. As the feed rack is moved by operation of round rack 56, the arbor 34 is moved into the inside of a cylinder blank 20 which is being held down by mechanism 24 as hereinbefore described. Continued movement of the arbor strips the blank from the hold-down force of mechanism 24 and inserts the blank into the rotary swaging machine 36 for forming by the hammers thereof. The round rack 56 is rotatably mounted on an H-block 60 that is connected to a conventional air cylinder 62 which is used for high speed part insertion and ejection. As the air cylinder moves the round rack toward the swaging machine the blank being held on the arbor 34 is continuously moved into the swaging machine for formation by the hammers thereof. The rack speed for delivering the part to the swaging machine is ideally relatively fast, however, during the forming of the part the forward movement of the air cylinder should be at a relatively slower speed. To control the feeding portion of the air cylinder stroke, a hydraulic cylinder 64 is attached to the cylinder mount 46. A piston rod 66 of the hydraulic cylinder 64 extends through the cylinder mount 46. Basically, the hydraulic cylinder 64 is of conventional design in that it has a reservoir for holding hydraulic fluid to control the axial rate of speed that the piston rod travels. A suitable hydraulic cylinder is the Hydrocheck, Model No. HC12B-6, manufactured by Bellows-Valvair, Division of IBEC, Akron, Ohio 44309. A jam nut 68 is threaded onto the piston rod 66 and positioned to be engaged by a shoulder 70 formed of the H- block 60 just as the blank is entering the swaging machine. When the shoulder 70 engages the jam nut 68 the operation of hydraulic cylinder 64 causes a drag on the operation of air cylinder 62 and thus reduces the speed at which the arbor is moving axially into the swaging machine. A limit switch 72 is connected to the base 44 and another limit switch 74 is connected to the cylinder mount 46. The

limit switches

72 and 74 are conventionally connected to the air cylinder 62 for controlling the relative forward and backward movements of the arbor 34. A forward switch activator 75 is connected to l-l-block 60 for engaging and operating limit switch 72 and a rearward switch activator 76 is attached to the H-block for engagement with an operation of limit switch 74. A switch 78 having a movable arm 80 is mounted to one of the tie bars 48 and is operatively connected to activate the air clamp 30 for holding down a blank being received upon the arbor 34 as it is moving toward the swaging machine. A toggle bar 82 pivotally mounted to the l-l-block 60 at 84 is movable by arm 80. The toggle bar is pivotable by arm 80 without affecting the switch as the H-block and thus the arbor 34 is moving relatively away from the swaging machine. However, when the H-block and arbor are moving toward the swaging machine the toggle bar is prevented from pivoting by engagement with the H- block and thus the toggle bar operates arm 80 and moves arm 80 for operating switch 78, thereby actuating air clamp 30 as hereinbefore described.

To remove a formed blank from the arbor, an unloading mechanism 86 shown generally in FlGS. l and 11 is provided. The unloading mechanism is mounted to the chute 22 and includes a mount 88. A lever 90 includes a dowel 92 for pivotally mounting the lever to the mount 88. The mount includes a longitudinal opening 94 which is dimensioned to retain the dowel 92 and provide for limited longitudinal movement along the opening 94. The lever can pivot about dowel 92 away from chute 22 but is engageable with chute 22 to prevent pivotal movement toward the automatic feeding mechanism. A stripper plate 96 is connected to lever 90 and a roller 98 is rotatably mounted on the lever 90 and as best seen in FIG. extends a slight distance below the outer free end of stripper plate 96. The roller is positioned so as to always ride on the arhor. The longitudinal slot or opening 94 provides for relative up and down movement of the lever to correct for any dimensional intolerances in the arbor and also to provide an arrangement whereby arbors of different diameters may be used without requiring adjustment of the unloading mechanism 86. In operation when the arbor 34 is moving away from the swaging machine with a formed blank, the stripper plate is engaged by the blank and moved relatively toward the automatic feeding mechanism. When the lever 90 engages the chute 22, stripper plate 96 can no longer move and thus provides a stop which holds the blank and strips the blank from the arbor moving relatively away from the blank. Once the finished blank is removed from the arbor, it simply drops away by gravity. To indicate to the apparatus when a part has not been stripped from the arbor, such as in the case when a part stays in the swaging machine and would cause a smashup should a second blank be forced into the machine while the first blank is still there, a lever arm 100 is connected to lever 90 for engagement with a contact 102 that is connected into the circuit of the air cylinder. If there is no pivotal movement of lever 90, such as in the case when no part is stripped from the arbor, the lever arm 100 does not engage contact 102 and air cylinder 62 is rendered inoperative and thus the arbor can not make a successive forward movement and feed another part or blank into the machine. Any suitable switching means, such as a limit switch, could be used in place ofa contact 102.

Thus, this invention has provided a magazine for feeding cylindrical blanks to an automatic feeding mechanism which is movable at varying yet controlled rates of axial speed and further provides an unloading mechanism to strip formed blanks from the arbor ofthe feeding mechanism and operates to stop the feeding mechanism in the event that the unloading mechanism has not been properly activated by a formed blank.

Thus, it will be appreciated that all of the recited objects, advantages and features of the present invention have been demonstrated as obtainable in a highly practical apparatus for handling cylindrical blanks and one that is not only simple and positive in operation but also inexpensive and easy to manufacture. it will be further understood that although the invention has been described with respect to certain specific embodiments thereof, it is not limited thereto, since various modifications of said invention will suggest themselves from the aforesaid description and are intended to be encompassed with the scope of the appended claims wherein there is claimed:

l claim:

1. Apparatus for handling cylindrical blanks being shaped by a forming machine comprising:

an arbor dimensioned for receiving a blank about the arbor;

means associated with the arbor for feeding the blank onto the arbor;

means for axially moving the arbor in operative relation with the forming machine,

means for slowing the axial moving means as the blank is being shaped and means associated with the arbor for removing the blank after being shaped by the forming machine including means for rendering the apparatus inoperative after malfunction of the removing means, a stripper plate positioned to engage the shaped blank on the arbor being axially moved from the forming machine and to strip the shaped blank from the arbor, means for pivotally supporting said stripper plate,

means for detecting pivotal movement of the stripper plate when the plate is removing a shaped blank from the arbor and for detecting when there is no such pivotal movement of the stripper plate to operate the means for rendering the apparatus inoperative, and said stripper plate is mounted for

Claims

1. Apparatus for handling cylindrical blanks being shaped by a forming machine comprising: an arbor dimensioned for receiving a blank about the arbor; means associated with the arbor for feeding the blank onto the arbor; means for axially moving the arbor in operative relation with the forming machine, means for slowing the axial moving means as the blank is being shaped and means associated with the arbor for removing the blank after being shaped by the forming machine including means for rendering the apparatus inoperative after malfunction of the removing means, a stripper plate positioned to engage the shaped blank on the arbor being axially moved from the forming machine and to strip the shaped blank from the arbor, means for pivotally supporting said stripper plate, means for detecting pivotal movement of the stripper plate when the plate is removing a shaped blank from the arbor and for detecting when there is no such pivotal movement of the stripper plate to operate the means for rendering the apparatus inoperative, and said stripper plate is mounted for operative longitudinal movement whereby the stripper plate is operative despite arbor variations.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for axially moving the arbor comprises a train of gears.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for feeding the blank onto the arbor further comprises means for successively feeding individual blanks into a position for engagement by the arbor and means for holding the blank in the position as the arbor engages the blank.