US3799361A

US3799361A - Apparatus for rotatably supporting a workpiece during tempering

Info

Publication number: US3799361A
Application number: US00281483A
Authority: US
Inventors: M Rey
Original assignee: Creusot Loire SA
Current assignee: Creusot Loire SA
Priority date: 1971-09-03
Filing date: 1972-08-17
Publication date: 1974-03-26
Anticipated expiration: 1991-03-26
Also published as: RO60662A; DE2241382B2; JPS4896411A; DE2241382A1; CS161952B2; GB1371875A; IT974919B; FR2151577A5; SU465797A3

Abstract

An installation or rotatably spporting a workpiece for example during Tempering, the support comprising two endless belts or chains each of which has an upper run passing around a pair of pulleys whose axes are horizontally spaced and situatd at the same level, a drive for a belt or chain, and a return device for each belt or chain below the pulleys, the chains or belts being adjustably spaced from one another and their upper runs serving to rotatably support a workpiece, one of them serving to effect that rotation.

Description

Rey

, United States Patent [191 APPARATUS FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING A WORKPIECE DURING TEMPERING I Michel Rey, Chateau Montcenis (Saone et Loire), France Inventor:

Assignee: Creusot-Loire, Paris, France Filed: Aug. 17, 1972 Appl. No.: 281,483

Foreign Application Priority Data Sept 3, 1971 US. Cl. 214/1 QC, 214/340 Int. Cl. B65g 7/00 Field of Search 214/338, 339, 340, 1 QC References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1954 Aronson 214/1 QC France 71.31951 [4 1 Mar. 26, 1974 McBath 214/340 Seymour 214/340 Primary Examiner-Robert G. Sheridan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cameron, Kerkam, Sutton Stowell & Stowell [57] ABSTRACT An installation or rotatably spporting a workpiece for example during Tempering, the support comprising two endless belts or chains each of which has an upper run passing around a pair of pulleys whose axes are horizontally spaced and situatd at the same level, a drive for a belt or chain, and a return device for each belt or chain below the pulleys, the chains or belts being adjustably spaced from one another and their upper runs serving to rotatably support a workpiece, one of them serving to effect that rotation.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENIEUHAR'26 m4 sum 1 or 3 v 8 5 Q9 38 Q:

i lllLliill L nmw APPARATUS FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING A WORKPIECE DURING TEMPERING The object of the present invention is an installation for supporting and rotationally driving cylindrical workpieces of large dimensions during an operation of tempering by spraying of water and possibly by blown air.

This installation, in which the workpiece turns around its own axis in a horizontal position, is particularly intended for the tempering of very heavy workpieces which are bodies of revolution and which comprise a plurality of cylindrical elements of different diameters.

There exist installations for the tempering of heavy workpieces which are bodies of revolution, for example, the rotors of turbines or alternators, in which the workpiece is held vertically or horizontally in front of the cooling device. An installation of the first type is described in French Pat. No. 1204662. It particularly comprises a rotary support from which the product to be tempered is suspended vertically, the tempering column extending at. the side of the workpiece. It is not possible to treat the heaviest and most cumbersome workpieces with this installation. In the installations for tempering in a horizontal position, such as described in French Pat. No. 1,425,298, the workpiece rests on two pairs of pulleys, each of the pairs of pulleys being' mounted on a turning carriage, one of the pulleys, driven by a motor, communicating a rotary motion to the workpiece in front of the cooling device. This latter installation is particularly suited for supporting and driving machined products.

The installation according to the invention enables these disadvantages to be avoided. It enables heavy and cumbersome pieces in the rough, or rough-forged, to be treated.

According to the invention, the installation comprises two supports for rotatably supporting a workpiece, which supports are displaceablerelatively toward and away from one another and driving means in respect of at least one of these supports to rotate the workpiece, each of the supports comprises an endless belt 'or an endless chain an upper run of which extends about two upper pulleyswh ose axes are disposed at the same level, and are spaced apart at least by the diame- 'ter of the workpiece, and a return device situated The installation of FIG. 1 shows a product 3 to be tempered, supported and driven rotationally by two supports 1 and 2 to rotatably support the product, the support 1 serving also to rotate the product 3. The support 2 allowsthe product to be positioned horizontally, whatever its profile.

A tempering installation 4 shown very diagrammatically on FIGS. 2 and 3 does not come within the scope of the invention. It comprises rows each comprising a plurality of sprays, carried by tubular supports 5, which may be completely lifted up during the maneuvers of positioning and removal of workpieces, or partially lifted in order to adjust the positions of the different spray sets according to the profile of the product.

The support 1, shown in detail in FIG. 2, is constructed of mechanically welded elements and comprises a double block-chain 11, which supports the product 3. The chain 11 runs on two pulleys or

sprockets

121 and 131, mounted to revolve freely, and situated on each side of the product; the chain also runs on a lower pulley 11 situated below the product 3. Lateral runs of the chain are guided by chain guides 123 and 133. The axes of the

pulleys

121 and 131 are journalled in bearings carried respectively by yokes 122 and 132, and cooled by'water sprays. These yokes are mounted on a movable chassis 14 formed by a bed 141 supported by

transverse beams

142, 143 and 144, connected by longitudinal beams such as 145. A lower pulley 151, surrounded by a casing 147, is positioned between the two

beams

143 and 144, which are profiled to enable the passage of an axle 152 of the pulley 151 journalled in bearings lodged in the casing 147. The pulley 151 is driven by means of a reducing gear 153, situated between the

beams

142 and 143, and connected to a motor 154.

A chassis rests on the

beams

142, 143 and 144, and

can slide, transversely of the axis of the product 3, relative to a fixed chassis 16 formed by

beams

162, 163 and 164 connected together by two

plates

165 and 166 which rest on the foundations. The provision of a chassis which is transversely movable on both sides of the horizontal axis of the installation has the object of preventing and compensating possible longitudinal displacements of the product 3 relative to the turning supports 1 and 2. After transverse displacement of the movable chassis 14, the product 3 rests in effect on the chain 11 along a helical contact arc, and the product 3 is subjected to a slightly helicoidal movement. The

slide blocks such as 142b and 162b are inserted between the beams'of the fixed chassis and of the movable chassis. The transverse movement of the movable chassis isproduced by four hydraulic jacks such as 163e, 163d, 164d, driven from a control desk and symmetrically and horizontally disposed within the

beams

163 and 164 of the fixed chassis. Guiding of the transverse movement is ensured by two slide bars connected to the fixed chassis 16, such as 167, and two slides such as 148 connected to the movable chassis 14. The two slide bars 167 are opposed, parallel to the beams, each of them being fixed on

plates

165 and 166. The support 2, shown in detail on FIG. 3, comprises a chain 21 running on three

idle pulleys

221, 231 and 252. The product 3 rests on the upper run which extends between

pulleys

221 and 231 carried respectively by

yokes

222 and 232. The yokes are fixed on a bed 241 which rests on parallel rails 6,6 and 7,7' symmetrically disposed relative to the axis of the product 3. The sup port 2 is thus displaceable longitudinally along the length of the workpiece to be tempered 3. The bed is fixed, on the rails, at the desired position, by means of

attachments

8 and 9. Lower pulley 252 is mounted in a housing 251, which is vertically movable and guided by four columns such as 253, 254, 255, sliding in tubes such as 242 arranged within the bed 241. Hydraulic jacks such as 243, mounted in the bed 241, vertically displace the housing 251. The interposition of valves in the oil circuits of the hydraulic jacks enables the rods of the jacks to be immobilised by the incompressibility of the oil. The level at which the tensioning pulley 252 stops is determined by the closing of the valves, and may be selected from a control desk.

The support 1 is in principle the most heavily loaded, the cylindrical part of the product 3 in contact with the upper run of the chain 11 of this support being generally of greater diameter than that in contact with the chain 21 of the turning support 2. This disposition of the product 3 thus favours its driving by the support 1. To maintain a sufficient arc of rolling between the chain 21 of the turning support 2 and the product 3, and to limit the swinging of the product, the spacing of the

yokes

222 and 232 of the turning support 2 is adjustable. The

yokes

222 and 232 are assembled on the bed 241 by attachments such as 244, 245, 246 with transverse slotted and keyed shafts, which may be dismantled and permit the adjustment of the spacing of the yokes. The yoke 222 is shown on FIG. 2 in the closed-up position defined for a product 3 of small diameter, the yoke 232 being shown in the position defined for a product of large diameter.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the installation described above, which could be modified in its details, or completed by any useful accessory element, without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, if the spacing between the diameter in contact with one support and the diameter in contact with the other support of the product is too large, the regulation of the horizontal positioning of the axis of the product by regulation of the chain of the support 2 can present disadvantages, as the support 2 would then require a considerable bulk and a design giving it sufficient strength. In such a case, an additional vertical adjustment of one of the turning supports may be provided. A foundation with several guide mark levels, B, M, H on FlG. 1, then permits the vertical positioning of the turning support 1, to adjust the axes of work-- pieces to a horizontal position as a function of their profile.

I claim:

1. An installation for rotatably supporting a workpiece comprising two supports for rotatably supporting a workpiece, means for displacing said supports relatively toward and away from one another, driving means for at least one of said supports for rotating the workpiece, two upper pulleys for each of said supports, an endless chain for each of said supports, an upper run of said chain extending about said two upper pulleys whose axes are disposed at the same level, and are spaced apart at least by the diameter of the workpiece, a return device for said chain situated below the level of the axes of said pulleys, said upper run of said chain carrying the workpiece during operation, said two upper pulleys being disposed on an intermediate chassis mounted for movement horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the relative movement of said supports on a transversely immobile lower chassis,

ing the spacing of said yokes.

Claims

1. An installation for rotatably supporting a workpiece comprising two supports for rotatably supporting a workpiece, means for displacing said supports relatively toward and away from one another, driving means for at least one of said supports for rotating the workpiece, two upper pulleys for each of said supports, an endless chain for each of said supports, an upper run of said chain extending about said two upper pulleys whose axes are disposed at the same level, and are spaced apart at least by the diameter of the workpiece, a return device for said chain situated below the level of the axes of said pulleys, said upper run of said chain carrying the workpiece during operation, said two upper pulleys being disposed on an intermediate chassis mounted for movement horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the relative movement of said supports on a transversely immobile lower chassis, motor means for moving and for immobilizing said intermediate chassis, said return device including a movable lower pulley to tension said chain and a drive-motor for said lower pulley.

2. Installation according to claim 1, said two upper pulleys being mounted in yokes and means for adjusting the spacing of said yokes.