US376833A - Dividing mechanism for gear-cutting machines - Google Patents

Description

2 'sheets-sheet 1.

(No Modell.)

o. SPAULDING. DIVIDING MECHANISM FOR- GEAR CUTTING' MACHINES.

Patntad Jan. '24

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(No Moae.) 2 sheeppsheet 2) C. SPAULDING. DIVIDING MBGIHANISM vFOR GEAR CUTTING MACHINES.

No. 376,833.` Patented Jam. 2.4, v1888',

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' in Which- UNITED STATES PATENT g'O1-irren..

. I Y w ACHARLES ,SPAULDINQ OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

D'Ivio'lNG MECHANISM Foa GEAR-CUTTING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,833, dated January 24, 18878.

. Application filed May 2, 1887.

To all whom it may concern.- v

Be it known that I, CHARLES SPAULDING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Malden, in the county of vMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dividing Mechanisms for Gear-Cutting Machines, of which Athe following is a specification. j

My invention relates tothat class of dividing-machines whichfare used in connectionk with machines for cutting gears for the purpose of dividing up the blanks into the several divisions required for the various numbers of teeth; and .the objects of my invention are, first, to produce any desired division on the periphery of the blank with exactly the same movementof hand or power, which not only simplifies the working of the machine, but also prevents the liabilities of mistakes from placing the pin in the wrong hole on the index-plate each time the'blank is moved, and, second, in automatic gear cutting machines to save the cost of the large number of change-gears requiredand used for dividing the blanks and the time required for removing the said change-gears and replacing them by others each time a gear-blank requiring a different number of teeth is placed upon a machine. I attain these objects vby the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a sideview of my invention adapted to an ordinary gearcutting machine...

Fig. 2 is a front view of same. Fig. Sisasection on line/xm of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are. diagrams illustrating the theory of my invention. Fig. 6 is a det-ail drawn in perspective, showing automatic way of movingindex-plate. A, Figs. 1 and 3, Ais a standard for supporting shaft or spindle B, upon which the blank C is placed.

D represents the position of the cutter (in dotted lines) with reference to the blank C. Upon the other end ofthe spindle B is placed the index-plate` E, the said plate being fastened by the set-screw b to the spindle B. It isobvious that by turning the index-plate E the'blank C will be also turned an equaliangle. F, Figs. l and 2,-is a sliding plate supported and guided bythe uprights G G. This sliding plate has a slot, f, extending vertically from near the center ofthe index-plate to the 1 Projecting from the center ofthe index-plate -y y is the spindle b, Fig. 3, which is used for guidv ing the movement of the slotted arm J. This arm J isslotted to allow the pin K tobe placed at any distance'required from the center of the index-plate. The pin K,being provided at one end with the thumb-nut lc, can be clamped firmly to the arm J, so that any movement given to the pin K will be given also to the arm J, which may or'may not be provided with a scale marked thereon for the purpose of setting the pin K at any. required distance from the center. The opposite end of the pin K is turned down to a smaller diameter't'o t holes m m of the index-plate. y The largest part f of this pin K' accurately lits the slot f. Nowv if the slidingrplate F is moved a certaindistance each time a groove is to be out in the blank, the same movement will be communicated to the index-plate by the pin K, and also to the slotted arm J. The pin K, being fastened to the slotted arm J, will be moved in the arc of a circle by tlierectilinearv movement of the sliding plateV F. The pin K is moved into and out of the holes in the index-plate bymoving the arm'J laterally by'means of the rockshaft I, lever I, and handle I', Figs. 1 and 2., rI he distance between successive holes in the index-plate corresponds exactly with the distance which the sliding plate F moves. The larger the diameter of the circle in which these y `holes are made the greater numberaof holes slipped along Athe slot to the required circle of holes-when it is tightened and allowed to snap TOO back into the hole in the index-'plate bythe tension of the springj between the arm J and the nut Z. When the pin is inthe right circle of holes,the handles are again clasped,moving out the pin, as before, so as not to disturb the index-plate, which is held by the friction of its spindle B in the bearing A. The sliding arm Fis then moved in the direction indicated by the arrow against the tension of the spring n, Fig. 2, until prevented from further movement by the screw f. rIhe handle I is then released7 allowing the pin K to snap into the nextholeoftheindex-plate. Theslidingplate F is then moved back into its original position by hand or by the heavy spring n, which presses against the pin a. This moves the pin K the same distance, and consequently the index plate E the required distance. The blankv is then cut, and when ready to be turned to the position required for the next groove the operation of moving the index is gone through with as before, and is continued until the index has made one revolution, when the teeth on the gear will be entirely formed. In automatic machines the moving out of the pin K and the sliding of the plate F could be done automatically by cams, as shown in Fig. 6, when the shaft O would be given one complete revolution each time the dial-plate was to be moved. Any well known device operated either from a separate belt or from any moving part of the machine can be used. This device would entirely dispense with the changegears commonly used on automatic machines for dividing up the blank into the various numbers of equal divisions for cutting gears containing different numbers of teeth. The only operation required would be, after the blank vhas been put in position to be cut, to loosen the thumb-nut and slide the pin K along the slot until it entered the circle of holes corresponding with' the number of teeth to be cut in the gear. rlhe vmachine then would be started, and after each groove was cut the indexplate would be moved automatically one division at a time until a complete revolution had been made, when, as in ordinary machines, after the gear has been cut, the entire mechanism would stop.

Referring now to the diagram, Fig. 4, let a represent the center of the index-plate, and let b be the hole in which the pin K is placed. Now move the index-plate by the pin K tillit reaches the point c, and draw radial lines from a through b and c. This will show the angle through which the index plate, and consequently the gear-blank, moves when the pin K is placed at a distance, a b, from the center of indexplate. Now slide the pin along the slot until it enters the hole d and move indexplate, as before, the same distance, d e, equal to b c. Drawing radial lines, as before, through d and e from a shows also the angle through which the index moves when placed at distance a d from the center, and thesamethrough fg. Now in layingolf the circles of holes on the index-plate the following is the method of one-half of which is three degrees, and onehalf the movement is oneeighth inch, or .125.

fr henh '125 25 the l 3h13" .05234 2.3882 radius of the circle having sixty holes with a distance of one-quarter inch between each.

As the difierenee between the concentric circles on the dial-platc on which the holes are laid out for successive numbers of teeth measures only about .0l inch, with this movement (lf) it is necessary to have several indexplates, taking, say, every fourth number, as 20, 24, 28, 32, and so on, allowing more distance between the series of holes, and thus providing space for a larger pin which moves the indexplate.

It will be seen that the slide F and pin K are capable of conjoint actionin rotating the index-wheel step by step; hence I do not limit myself to the use of the particular devices herein described for movingthe pin K toward and from the index-wheel to engage it with and disengage it from said wheel, nor to any devices for this purpose, as said movements may be effected by hand. It is quite obvious, however, that it is desirable to provide some reliable means for effecting the described movements of the pin, andthe devices herein described are as convenient and suitable as any of which I am at present aware.

I claim- 1. The combination ofa rotary shaft adapted to hold a blank, an index-wheel attached to said shaft and having concentric rows of holes, each row having a diierent number of holes from the others, while the holes in' all the rows are at uniform distances apart, an operating-slide which is adapted'to be reciprocated across the face of the index-wheel a distance equal to the distance from hole to hole in any row of holes in the index-wheel, and provided with a slot extending radially of the index-wheel, acrossall the rows of holes therein, anda latch or pin passing through said slot and adapted to be engaged with any hole in the index-wheel coincident with the slot, said slide and pin operating conjointly to give the index-wheel and the blank-holding shaft step-bystep rotations, the extent of which is governed by the distance of the pin or latch from the axis of the index-wheel, as set forth.

2. The combination of a rotary blank-holding shaft, an index-wheel attached thereto and having concentric rows of holes, all the holes being spaced alike, while each row has a different number of holes, an operating-slide adapted to have a reciprocating motion, which is limited, as described, across the face of the sixty; the anglebetween each tooth is index-Wheel andprovided with a slot extending across all the rows of holes in the indexwheel, a latch or pin passing through said slot and adapted to be 'moved therein from one row of holes in the indeX-wheelto another, and devices whereby said pin may be alternately `moved from and toward the index- `wheel to disengage it from andengage it with holes in said Wheel, as set forth.

3. rIhe combination of the blank-holding shaft, the index-wheel thereon having the-concentric rows of holes, the operating-slide F, having a slot, f, and'provided with devices to limit its reciprocating movements, thelatch or pin K, adapted to slidein said slot toward and from. the index-wheel and from row to row of holes therein, the slotted arm J, Aadapted both to oscillate and slide on a stud'in line with the axial center of the index-wheel, and engaged, as described, vwith the latch or pin K, and the rock-shaft l, having the arm I engaged with said arm J, wherebysaid arm and the latch or pin may be moved toward and from the index-wheel, as set forth.

4. The combination of the blank-holding' shaft, the index-wheel thereon having the concentric'rows of holes, ythe operating-slide F, having the slot f and provided with devices to limit its reciprocatingmovements, thelatchv or pin K, adapted. to move, as described, in

said slot, the slottedarm J, adapted both to vset forth.

,slide may be moved in the opposite direction,

whereby the latter maybe moved against'the pressnreof the spring j to remove the pin K from the index-wheel, as set forth. e 4o '5. The combination of the blank-'holding l shaft, the index-Wheel having holes arranged as described, the latch or pin K, the operatingl slide F,'having the slot f, receiving said pin,

as G', cooperating with said stops f f2, asV

-' 6. The combinationrof the blank-holding shaft, the index-wheel having holes, arranged A as described, the latch or pin K, the operat- 5o ing-slide, F, having the slot f, receiving said pin, the adjustable stops f f on said slide, the spring n, arranged to move said slide', in one direction, and a handle, H, whereby" the l55 as set forth. e A f 7. The combination of the blank-holding shaft, the index-wheel having holes, arranged as described, the latch or pin K,the operating-slide F, having the slot f, receiving said 6o pin/and the handle II, the ystopsf'f2 on said slide, the fixed stop G', the slotted arm J, A, adapted both to oscillate `andY slide, the spring j, arranged to hold the arm Jin its normal position, and the krock-shaft I, having the arm I engaged Witlithe arm J, and the handle I', arranged in close proXimityto the handle H, whereby both handles may be grasped 'simul-I taneously, as set forth.

vCHARLES sPAULDING;

' Witnesses:v f

THOMAS W. HOBDAY, CHARLES E. Moss. Y

the stopsff2 on said slide, and a fixed stop, 45 'l

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