US1474935A - Cold-roll-feeding mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 20, 1923 LWLQ G. C. KIMBALL ET L GOLD ROLL FEEDING MECHANISM Filed June 24 1922 5 Sheets-Sheff?J 1 H/@fz EAL-741,935

Nov. 20, 1923 G. C. KIMBALL. ET AL CLD ROLL FEEDING MECHANISM 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 24 @ar wif/774% Nov. 20, i923 1,474,935

G. c. KIMBALL ET AL COLD ROLL FEEDING MECHANISM Filed June 24y 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 20, i923 11,474,935

G. C. KIMBALL ET AL COLD ROLL FEEDING MECHANISM Filed June 24 1922 5 Sheets-Shwt 4 NOV., 20,1923 [15474935 G; C. KIIMBALL ET M COLD ROLL FEEDING MECHANISM Filed June 24, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheeb- Patented Nov. 20, i923.

PATENT CIDFFHC.

GEORGE COOK KIMBALL AND HOWARD G. MCLVRIED, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYL- VANIA, ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN SHEET AND TIN PLATE COMPANY, OF PITTS- BURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

COLD-ROLL-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Application led June 24,

' To ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, GEORGE COOK KIM- BALL and HOWARD G. MCILVRIED, citizens of the United States. and residents of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have vinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cold-Roll- Feeding Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic feeding devices for sheets or plates and while not limited thereto, relates particularly to a device for feeding metal plates and sheets to cold rolls, and has for its principal Object the provision of a feeder of this class that will be entirely automatic and one that. will follow as nearly as possible the feeding movement followed in hand feeding i. e. a vertical and transverse or horizontal movement.

Another Object is to provide means for bowing the lifted plate to prevent a second plate adhering thereto.

Another object is to provide means for separating the sheetsas one is lifted from a pack.

Other Objects and advantages will be more fully brought out in the following specification and illustrated in the `accompanymg drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan of the machine with the motor and reduction gearing iemoved for clearness.

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation thereof. I

Fgure3 is an end elevation thereof.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail showing the cross head and other mechanism for operating the lifting arms.

Figure is an enlarged detail of the vacuum cup and control valve mechanism therefor.

This feeder is arranged in close proximity to the entrance side of the cold rolls A and B and is adapted to feed the plates between the u per roll A and the feed or billy roller The feeder comprises a main frame mem- 1922. Serial No. 570,734.

ber 2 which has its ends 3 arched. A center support and cross head guide composed of members 4 and 5,'is secured to the ends 3 and serves to support the operating motor 6, the Worm drive reductiongearing 7, and operating crank shaft 8 which are secured on said support. The motor armature shaft 9 is connected to the worm shaft 10 of the worm drive gearing 7 by a flexible coupling l2, and the Worm wheel shaft 14 is operatively connected to the crank shaft 8 by a drive chain 15 trained over a sprocket 16 on the worm shaft and a' sprocket 17 on the crank shaft 8.

The members 4 and 5 have downwardly extending portions 18 and 19. respectively. which form the cross head guideway 20. A cross head 21 is mounted for vertical reciprocatory movement in the guideway and is provided with supporting bars or arms 22 and 23 spaced one above the other. A connecting rod 24 is pivotally secured to the crank shaft 8 and to the upper supporting rod or arm 22.

Lifting arm guides 25 and 26 are mounted on the rods or arms 22 and 23 adjacent their opposite ends and are provided with guide portions or sleeves 27 in which lifting arms 28 and 29, respectively, are slidably mounted,

Each of the arms 28 and 29 is provided with compression springs 30 and 31 adapted to be engaged by the upper sleeve 27 of the guides 25 and 26, respectively. The lower spring 30 is so arranged that it will be under compression when the cross head is in its lowermost position and so will hold the arm in engagementl with the plates to be lifted, while the upper spring 31 is adapted to be engaged by the guide when it is moved upwardly by the cross head and acts to cushion the up stroke.

The lifting arms 28 and 29 are of tubular construction and are provided with vacuum cups 33 and 34 at their lower ends which are adapted to engage and hold the plates during the upward movement of the lifting arms.

The upper ends of the lifting arms 28 and 29 are connected to flexible vacuum tubes 35 and 36, respectively, which extend rearwardly and have their other ends connected to suitable ta s leading from a vacuum or suction pipe 3%.

The vacuum cups 33 and 34 are each provided with valve orts 38 opening to the interior of the lifting arms and valve ports 39 opening to the atmosphere. The ports 38 and 39 are adapted to be alternately opened and closed by the valves 40 and 4l on valve stem 42, which 'is adapted to be actuated by a lever 42a and normally held in closed position. That is, in the position in which valve 4l is seated to close port 39 by a spring 43 which normally holds the operat ing lever 42 in raised position. However, when the lifting arms are raised the lever 42 engages a trip 44 and is forced downwardly so as to reciprocate the valves 4() and 41, thus closing the port 38 and opening port 39 to the atmosphere. This operation will break the vacuum in thel cups and release the plate.

A third valve port. is provided opening through the bottom of the cup. This port is normally closed by a plunger valve 45 and is only opened when the lifting arms are moved into engagement with the plate to be lifted, at which time the plunger of the valve which projects below the cup will engage the plate and be moved upwardly, thus opening the valve port and permitting suction to draw the plate up againstthe cup. The valve 45 will automatically close when the plate is discharged from the cups.

A feeder shaft4 46 is journaled in bearings 47 on the sides of the main frame and carries two sets of feeder arms 48 and 49 which extend radially relative to the shaft and are secured to hubs 50 and 51, res )ectively, which are keyed to the shaft. l`he feeder arms are preferably arranged in sets of four but any number may be used according to the speed of rotation of the shaft 46.

The shaft 46 has a gear 52 on its one end in mesh with a pinion gear 53 on the end of the crank shaft 8. and the gear ratio is such that the shaft 46 will rotate at such a speed that one each of the feeder arms 48 and 49, which arms are in alinement, will engage the rear side edge of the plate at the instant it reaches its highest point and substantially simultaneously with the oper` ation of the valves 4() and 41. which are operated to break the vacuum in the cups 33 and 34. Preferably the valves 4() and 4l will open the instant the arms 48 and 49 operatively engage the plate.

The arms 48 and 49 have their free ends bent to form a hook portion 54 which serves to support the plate. It will be readily geen that the rotary feeder arms 48 and 49 will feed the plate forwardly as the vacuum is broken and will thereby move the forward side edge of the plate into the bite of the feed roller C and top roll A, thereby causing it to enter the bite of the rolls A and B.

A pair of air blast nozzles 55 and 56 are arranged behind the plates to be lifted and at a point above the uppermost plate and below the level to which the plates are lifted by the lifting arms. The nozzles 55 and 56 are connected to branches 57 and 58 lead ing from an air supply pipe 59. The nozzles 55 and 56 are adapted to direct a blast of air under the lifted plate to separate the sheet from the others of the pack .for its entire length.

A sheet guard 60 is secured to the frame 2 adjacent its forward end and projects downwardly to a point slightly above the plates to be lifted and serves to guide the sheets into the bite of the feed roller C and roll A, and also prevents the sheets from being whipped too high by the air blast and movement of the feeder arms.

Due to the inherent vacuum existing between closely packed sheets when attempting to separate them at a rapid rate, there is a tendency for two or more sheets to adhere. ln order to overcome this tendency an automatic separator has been provided which comprises supporting brackets 61 secured to each side of the main frame 2 on a line with the lifting arms 28 and 29, and having Supporting arms 62 extending outwardly therefrom. A hanger 63 is slidably mounted on each of the arms 62 and adjustably locked in position by set screw 64. A crank shaped separating arm 65 is pivotally mounted on the lower end of each of thc hangers 63 and has its forward end provided with a serrated separating head 65a adapted to overhang the plates to be separated. The separating arms are normally forced downwardly against the plate by a spring 66 and are adapted to be quickly releasetf from the plates by a bell crank shaped operating lever 67 pivotally mounted on the hanger and having its one end bearing against the rear end of the crank shaped 4 separating arm.

It will be readily understood that as the lifting arms 28 and 29 raise the plates from the pack the plates will be forced to bend or bow in order to pass the separating arms` 65. As the plates pass the arms 65 their edges will be forced to grate over the serrated head 65 of the arms 65` thus insuring the separation of any plates that may have a tendency to adhere to the liftel plate.

We claiml. In an automatic plate feeder, a lifting arm having means for adhesively engaging and holding a plate, means for lifting said arm and plate, and rotary feeding arms for engaging said plate and moving it in a direction transversely of said lifting movement.

2. In an automatic plate feeder` a pair of lifting arms having means for adhesively engaging and holding a plate, means for lifting said arms and plate, and rotary feeding arms adapted to engage the one side edge of the plate adjacenteach end and move it. in a direction transversely of said lifting movement.

3. In an automatic plate feeder, a pair of lifting arms having means for adhesively engaging and holding a plate, means for moving said arms and plate vertically, andVY rotary feeding arms adapted to engage the one side edge of the plate adjacent each end and move it horizontally independent of said lifting arms.

4. In an automatic plate feeder, a lifting arm having a vacuum cup on its lower end for engaging anlholding a plate, means for moving said arm vertically, means for automatically breaking the vacuum in said cup. and means for engaging the plate and moving it horizontally relative to said arm substantially simultaneously with the operation of said vacuum breaking means.

5. In an automatic plate feeder, a plurality of lifting arms having vacuum cups on their lower ends for engaging and holding a plate, means for moving said arms vertically. means for automatically breaking the vacuum in said cups at a predetermined point in the vertical travel of said lifting arms, and rotary feeding arms adapted to engage the one side edge of the plate adjacent each end and move it horizontally relative to said lifting arms substantially simultaneously with the operation of said vacuum breaking means.

6. In an automatic plate feeder, a lifting arm having a vacuum cup on its lower end for engaging and holding a plate, means for reciprocating said arm vertically, means for automaticallyy breaking the vacuum in said cup at a predetermined point in the travel of said lifting arm. means for engaging the plate and moving it horizontally relative to said arm substantially simultaneously with the operation of said vacuum breaking means, and means for directing a blast of air under the plate being lifted to assist in separating it. from others of a pack.

7. In an automatic plate feeder, a plurality of lifting arms having vacuum cups on their lower ends for engaging and holding a plate, means for moving said arms vertically. means for automatically breaking the vacuum in said cups at a predetermined point in the vertical travel of said lifting arms, rotary feeding arms adapted to engage the one side edge of the plate adjacent each end and move it horizontally relative to said lifting arms substantially simultaneously with the operation of said vacuum breaking means, and a plurality of nozzles for directing a blast of air under the plate being lifted to assist in separating it from others of a pack.

8. In an automatic plate feeder'for feeding single plates from a pack, a lifting arm having means for adhesively engaging and holding a plate, means for moving said arm and plate vertically, and means for flexibly engaging the side edges of the plate being lifted to bowsaid plate and separate it from others that may adhere thereto.

9. In an automatic plate feeder for feeding single plates from a pack, a lifting arm having means for adhesively engaging and holding a plate, means for moving said arm and plate vertically, means for bowing said lifted plate to separate it from others that may adhere thereto, and means independent of said lifting arm for moving the lifted plate horizontally.

10. In an automatic plate feeder for feeding single plates from a pack, a lifting arm having means for adhesively engagin and holding a plate` means for moving sai arm vertically, means for bowing said lifted plate to separate it from others that may adhere thereto, means independent of said lifting arm adapted to engage and move the plate horizontally, and means for directing an air blast under the lifted plate.

11. In an automatic plate feeder, a plurality of lifting arms having vacuum cups on their lower ends for engaging and holding a plate, means for moving lsaid lifting arms vertically, said means including a rigid cross head guide, a cross head mounted in said guide, cross arms mounted in said cross head and engaging said lifting arms, a crank shaft, a connecting rod mounted on said shaft and secured to said cross head, means for operating said shaft, means for breaking the vacuum to said cups at a predetermined point in the upward travel of said lifting arms, and a plurality of feeding arms mounted on a rotary shaft, said feeder arms being adapted to engage the lifted plate substantially simultaneously with the operation of said vacuum breaking means to move said plates horizontally relative to said lifting arms.

12. In an automatic plate feeder for feeding single plates from a pack, means for lifting a plate. and means for iieXibly engaging the side edges of the plate during its lifting movement to bow the lifted plate and separate it from others that may adhere thereto.

13. In an automatic plate feeder for feeding single plates from a pack, means for liftlll@ ing a plate, and a pair of spring pressed holding arms havingr several ends adapted to engage the side edges of the plate being lifted to thereby bow said plate, and to ride down over the :sideI edges of the lifted plate and dl'algr other adhering plates away from said lifted plate.

14. In an automatic plate feeder for feeding single plates from a pack, means for lifting a plate vertically, means for blow- 10 ing a current of air under the late being lifted to assist in separating it rom others of the pack, and means for moving the lifted plate horizontally.

ln testimony whereof we have hereunto 15 set our hands.

GEORGE COOK KIMBALL.

HOWARD G. MCILVRIED.

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