USRE21376E

USRE21376E - Spacing mechanism

Info

Publication number: USRE21376E
Authority: US
Publication date: 1940-02-27

Description

T. K. WALMA SPACING MECHANISM Feb. 27, 1940.

Original Filed Oct. 26. 1936 I 7- A? WALMA INVENTOR.

ATETORNEY objects and maintainingthespacing thereof unis ers. 23 1940 UNITED, STATES.

"PATENT: oFFIca sracmo MECHANISM i I -Theodore K. Walma, lowa City, Iowa. Original No. 2,098,816.- dated'November 9, 1937,

Serial No. 107,664. October 26, 1936. Application for reissue'June 17, 1939, Serial No. 279,891

e a I My present invention relates to mechanism for simultaneously moving a plurality 01" objects, at

" a the same time maintaining -a uniform "spacing form during the change to provide an improved apparatus by' means of which the spacing of an entire group of objects may be varied or the spacing of a portion thereof'may be left constant while the spacing oi the remainder ofthe group is changed; to provid'e'an apparatus-oi the character indicated which is light in weight and easily 3 fabricatedjand such further objects, advantages,

and; capabilities as will hereafter. appear andas are inherent in the construction disclosed herein. My-invention' further resides in the combition, construction, and arrangement of parts 11- lustrated in the accompanying drawing. and. while I have shown thereinwhat isnow regarded as the preferred embodiment and some modiflca-- tions thereof, I desire the same to beunderstood as illustrative only and not to be interpreted in 4 a limiting sense. v Inthe drawing annexed hereto and, forming a part hereof, f v

' Fig. 1 represents a front elevationof'a structure embodying my invention; i "Fig. 2 represents atransverse section taken-approximately alongthe plane indicated-by the line,

w 2 2, Fig.1; I Fig. 3 represents an endfelevation of a structure taken in the direction of the arrows 3-3,

Fig.1j v Fig. 4 represents a longitudinal sectional ele-' vatlon'oi a fragmentary part of this construcmade in greater detail 12 claims. (01. 14s 15a) the annexed drawing for a more complete disclosure of this invention. In this drawing, and supporting members are shown at ,l and a central supporting member at 2. Inthe form of construction shown in Figs. '1 to 3 and 5, these sup- 5 -.porting members are connected by two or

more bars

3 and 3a. The bars 3 are secured in place by means of. screws 4 while the bar 311 isreceived in notches in the supporting members I; and 2.

Since the support 2 of Fig. 5 differs somewhat in 10 -iorm from the corresponding element of the other figures; it is designated by the numeral 20'. A ,rod or bar 5 of non-circular cross-section is .supported ,in one of the end supports I, as shown v r in Fig. 1, and has supported thereon a plurality ll of. blocks 6 provided with any suitable attaching means for the connection of objects to be moved. In the present instance, hooks -'l are shown for the attachment of slicing-blades 8. Of course each manufacturer of slicing machines has his m own method of attaching his blades to the blade supporting frame and he will, consequently, adopt whatever form of attaching means seems to him best. I have shown merely one form of attaching means in order to illustrate an operative con-" 35 struction. In a bread slicing machine, each of the'blocks 6 will have a suitable blade attachingmeans'l; Q

The. central block 6a is shown as provided with I an opening for the reception of a' set screw B 30 which prevents the block from moving relatively to itssupporting frame. This block, like the blocks lijis provided with notches or grooves in its peripheral surface for the reception of an edge portion or each of the bars andta'. These bars; 35

therefore, prevent the rotation of the blocks with r the shaft, rod, or bar 5. but permit them to move longitudinally thereof. This longitudinal movement is caused by externally screw-threaded sleeves l0, centrally apertured, with openings 40 which fit closely the rod or bar 5. These sleeves 10 'areprovided at their opposite ends with right and left hand threading and the blocks 6 and 8a are correspondingly threaded so that the sleeves can be screwed into and out of the blocks 4 to cause them to approach or separate from each other. Preferably; shallow grooves .II are pro vided' midway of the. length of the sleeves ll to separate the threading at'the opposite ends of the sleeves. Similarly, grooves II are provided midway-10f the length of the blocksli to separate -'the opposite threading in the blocks.

Any suitable operating means, suchas a crank It or a hand wheel,may be attached to the end of the rod or bar 5 by means or which it may be rotated, From the foregoing it will be seen that,

when the actuating means I! is turned in one direction, the sleeves III will be screwed out of theadjacent blocks and, when turned in the opposite direction, will be screwed into such blocks.

Suitable stop means, as, I, is provided for limit- I ing the lengthwise movement of the blocks 6. This is for the purpose of preventing sleeves l0 and blocks 6 from becoming entirely separated.

during adjustment of the mechanism Furthermore, the stop ll may be ,omlttedj'entirely, its function being served by an end frame member I so placed that longitudinal movement of the blocks 6 is arrested before separation occurs between these blocks and the sleeves I li.'

It may be desirable,-in the slicing of bread and possibly for other purposes, to have, different spacings of the blocks .6 and themeans connected to and actuated thereby, in the present instance shown as cutting blades. This can be accompllshed byadjusting a section of the block 8 at the left hand end of the structure shown in Fig. 1

to the desired spacing and then withdrawing the rod} from as many of the sleeves l0 as necessary in order to leave the desired number of blocks at the left hand end undisturbed. The crank I3 can then be turnedto adjust the remaining blocks to the desired spacing. Close spacing may be had at either end and wide spacing at the other so or any other desired arrangement of spacing may be attained by proper manipulation.

Fig. 6 is intended to represent a construction in which the blocks 6 and 6a rest in a trough formed in a member [5. This takes the place of the two 36

lower guide strips

3 and 3a of Fig.2, making it possible to get along with a single guide strip 3,

shown at the top of Fig. 6. The guide notches of the blocks 6 are indicated by the numeral Ii at the top of Fig. 4. It will be appreciated that when thls"construction is used in a slicing machine, suchas a bread'siicer, it will be necessary to have one of these structures at the upper end and one at the lower end of each set of blades.

' The one atthe lower end will preferably be sub stantially the same as the one at the'upper end but inverted. The trough arrangement of Fig. 6

is not desirable for a; bread slicing machine for Y the reason that crumbs will collect in the trough and causeclogging of the mechanism For this reasonf the structures of Figs. 1,- 2, 3, and 5 are 5 preferable for use in bread slicing machines, since there is verylittle surface .upon which crumbs may collect.

When this construction is used as a means for adjustingbread slicing machine blades, it will be necessary to simultaneously adjust bothends ofthe blades and this will be accomplished by 1 suitable connections between the" upper and lower bars 5. Such connections are already known in the art. However, I have ,illustrated in Fig. 7.

. a mechanism by means of which this adJustrnent may be 'eflected. Thiscomprises I a series of sprocket wheels in unted onthe ends of the rods i or. bars 5 and ha ng a sprocket chain passed thereove'r'and connecting the wheels. 'Ihus it will be seen that when the actuating means I! is turned all four shafts will berotated at the. same I speed and the blades will be simultaneously' ad-' Justed at the same rate. I It will of course be understood that the specific description of'structure set forthabove'rnay be departed from without departing from thespirit of this invention as set forth in this specification and the appendedclaims,

Having now described my invention, I claim:

15 1. A mechanical movement comprising supporting means, a straight rod of non-circular cross-section supported thereby, sleeves surrounding said rod and slidable longitudinally thereof, said sleeves having their internal surfaces .conforming substantially to the rodand fitting the 5 same closely but suihclently loosely to be freely slidable thereon, the external surfaces of the sleeves .being threaded in opposite directions from' opposite ends, longitudinally apertured blocks having their apertures threaded in oppo- 0 site directions from opposite ends, the threads of the blocks cooperating with the threads of the sleeves to cause motion of both longitudinally of the rod when the latter is rotated, and guiding means for the blocks to support them and prevent 15 their rotation around the rod. v

2. A structure as defined by claim 1 in which a block located approximately midway of the rod is held stationary whereby to cause the blocks upon opposite sides of the stationary block to a.

move simultaneously in'opposite directions.

3. A structure as defined by claim 1 in which the rod is partly or wholly removable from the sleeves and may be rotated when partly removed to adjust the spacing of part of the blocks.

4. Blade .holding and adjusting meansfor a slicing machine comprising a bar'of non-circular cross-section and a support therefor, movable supporting blocks provided with blade-holding means. and surrounding said bar, right and left a hand screw-threadedmeainsoperatively connecting saidblock's to each other and to the bar, said screw-threaded means having substantially axial openings fitting closely said bar, and, upon rotation of the bar, causing the blocks to approach toward or recede from each other so asto main- ,tain an equal spacing of the blocks and of the blades carried thereby. I

5. A. structure as defined by. claim 4 in which the blocks'have grooves in their peripheral sur- I faces, extending longitudinally thereof, in combinatlon with a bar carried by the support and extending through the grooves to keep theblocks from rotating with relation to each other.

. 6. A structure as defined by claim 4 in which the blocks have attaching means projecting from a one side thereof, said structure being-provided with means for preventing rotation of the blocks.

- 7, A slicing machine blade holding and'adjusting mechanism comprising a supporting framework, a. bar extending longitudinally thereof, a series of blade-holding blocks supported by said bar,- sjaid blocks having means to ,which blades may be attached, guiding means connected with said blocks for preventing rotation thereof, and wright and left hand screw-threaded means connecting said blocks to each other and to said bar, said screw threaded means being rotatable with the bar to cause the ,blocks to approach-or recede from each other.

8. Astr ucture as defined by claim 7 in which in the guiding means comprises a pair of bars supported. upon opposite sides of the blocks and which extend longitudinally thereof through notches cut in the exterior longitudinal surfaces? of the blocks.-

9. a structure as defined by claim 7 in which the guiding means comprises a plurality of bars extending in a. direction substantially parallel to the first mentioned bar, the blocks having longitudinal notches in their peripheralsurfaces for the reception of the plurality of bars, the bars fitting in said notches and the blocks being slidable along the bars.

10. A structure as defined by claim 7 in which the supporting framework comprises, in part, a

-wherebytodrawthe member, against the we surlace oi which the blocks are held.

11. In a mechanical movement,

thereby and movable therealong, screw-threaded means to actuate the blocks longitudinally of the framework, said screw-threaded means comsections of right and left hand threading, said blocks being internally "screwthreaded to cooperate with the right and left hand. threading of the screw-threaded means blocks toward each other or cause them to separate, depending upon the direction of rotation of the screw-thread means, and means for rotating the screw-threaded means to cause the blocks v 12. A- slicing machine blade mechanmarrameworhabarncn-circuiar variations in the spacing of at least one of each in cross-section extending longitudinally thereof,

v aseries of blade guiding blocks supported by'saidv I a supporting bar, said framework, a series of movable blocks supported guiding slicing blades,

blocks having means for receiving and guiding means cooperating with said blocks to prevent-rotation thereof, and a plurality oi screw-threaded means, freely iongitudinally sildable on said bar, and interengaging with said bar whereby'said screw-threaded means are constrained to rotate with said bar, at least one of said screw-threaded means bein interposed between each adjacent pair of blocks,

in screw-threaded eent with the screwthreaded means interposed thereh'etween, said screw-threaded means cooperating with said blocks upon rotation of the bar in one direction to cause all adjacent blocks of said'series to recede,

from each other. i

we; a.

adjacent pair of blocks bein