US1887434A - Tube actuating machine - Google Patents

Description

Patented Nov. 8, 1932 DONALD sTuRT"sAuMIs, or 'sTRATifoRn 'CoNNECTI-CUT,l 'AssiGNoa To TH'NEW HAVEN SAND BLAST CoMPANY,-or NEWBAVEN; coNN'nCTIcUT,` a CoRrRATIoNci-f or CONNECTICUT Y TUBE IACTUATING, MACiiiNE -3 j nppicationiiiea Novinber is;1929.'seriaiMiossec?.1 j,

. invention relates to machines for rotatmfing and `advaiicingfin the 'direction of its .axis

a cylindrical object, l particularly a tube.

More especially thefinvention relates to such machines which are vgenerally used for-simultaneously advancing and rotating ai tube or round through an apparatus which Valectsits condition such as straightening rolls, or grinding, sand blasting, buiiing andother similar machines. f

One object of the invention is to' provide an apparatus of the class described which will be easily adjustable VWith respect to the tube axis for different diameters of tube. Another object is to provide a motor-roller unit which is similarly adjustable. A further ob- V"ject is the vprovision of an additional'adjust- `able roller. Other objects will appear later.

In the past, apparatus of the general character ofthe present invention has been de-l signed, Ybut adjustment of such apparatus 'has been unhandy or mechanically imperfect. I have now discovered that a very de? sir'able form of apparatus may be provided' r by constructing a motor and a .driven roller as an adjustable unit, anda second rolleras a separately adjustable unit. Y v

One form of the invention is shownby Way wherein- V Figure l isa perspectiveview of the apparatus, Y

'i Fig. Q is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig-5 ure 1,

Fig. .a is afsection'on'fhe une efaf Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a ragmental view of the bottom Vof `the machine, 'certain' parts being shown in section,and ,Y V j Fig. 5 is a fragmental View of thetop *of the machine, certain partsbeing Vshown in section. 1 j Y l My nventioncomprises apparatus for re-4 volving and advancing tubes, including an adjustable motor-roller unit, and a secondk Y roller unit which isv also adjustable. -Thus there is provided'a motor-roller unit com,- prising a driving roller, amotor operatively associated with the driving roller, and means for adjustingthefposition'of the roller andthe motor together with respect to the aXiS of illustration in the accompanying drawing,

angles 17 ,Y 18 of the apparatus frame.

of a tube thefrapparatus acts.

There may also be provided an idlerroller and means for.adjusting Ythe position of the idler 'rollerwith respect to the tube.

Referringy more particularly to the` eir-VV ample illustrated, a driving roller 1 0 isV mountedupon anshelf 41.1, and a motor 12-is mounted uponanother shelf 13 beneath the first shelf, anjds operatively associated With the driving roller. .Ther drivingroller is. preferably scored: as indicated lto givejmore eliective Vcontact with the tube. idlerv roller 14 may also be mountedon thev shelffll, with its axis parallel y to that j ef the driving .roller,10. Y f j l j l f, 1 The axes .of bothy rollers stand Yat `an angle to that of the tube uponv which they act, for

apurpose which Will be explained later.

- l Tlietwo, shelves 11 and 13 are .rigidly yc on- -nected together, `forvinstance by means of tWo pairs of angles 15, 16 attached to both shelves on opposite sides 'of the unit.. These angles together 'with the shelves form a supporting structure for the driving roller and the inotor.v Adjacent .the pairs of angles 15V Y andlf on each side of the unit are a pair of slightly-separated angles 417, 18l forming the upright part of the apparatus frame 19. Betweenthe parallel legs of each kpair of angles 15,16 there is fastened a plate'QOV which extends into Ythefspacre between the adjacent Thus the' plate 20 at Veach side ofthejshelves which isgfasteneidbetween' the angles 15, l16, Will serve to`guide the u'nitinthe frame as the, 'former is moved up and down.

The meansmfor adjusting the positionof the` roller and-the motor-together,-that is 1 to say.: the motor-roller unit`may comprise a Wheel 21 'and threaded stem 22, the latter .Y passingthrough4 andturning in a tapped bushing 23in the lower part of the apparatus frame 19, but being keyed to the Wheel 21 and projecting slightly above it. `When the, wheel is turned in one direction thethreaded Y stem 22 will turn upwardly inthe bushing `23. It Will thereby elevate the .Wheel 21, the

projection above the Wheel, and the motorroller unit Whose base rests upon/this projection, When the Wheel 21 is'turned inthe opposite direction, the stem 22 will descend in the bushing 23, and the unit of its own weight will descend with it, resting always upon the `projection above the wheel. Thus the elevation of the driving roller 10 and the idler-roller 14 carried by the unit may be adjusted for any ydiameter of pipe. Bolts 24 may be drifted through or otherwiseatjtached to eac-h ofthe plates 2Q which slide .inthe frame 19 andV vertical slots 25 may be provided in the kangles 17, 18 through which these bolts project. Nuts 26 upon the bolts 24, when tightened, will fasten the unit in` position upon the frame, There is thus provided means for fixing the driving roller in 'adjusted position,

Y VCoacting with the unit just described, I may provide an idler roller 27 carried on the under side of a second shelf 28." The axis of the idler roller 27 is inclinedV to the axes of theother rollers', as is best illustrated` in Fig3. It will thus be seen that the axis of Vany roller of one unit stands at an angle to the axisY of any roll'erin" the other unit. Furthermore `it will be seen in the example illus-V trated in the drawings that the axis of any roller lies at an angle of less thanf90o to that j of the tube to be revolved and advanced.

'The second shelf 28 may be guidedfor vertical motion in the frame by means of angles 29 and a plate 30 in the same manner in which the first unit is guided. Thus a second sup-V porting structure is provided for carrying `idler roller 27 which it carries.

the idler roller 27 In the upper part of the frame I may provide a cylinder 31 and in this cylinder a piston 32.

connected with the second shelf 28, as by means of the angles 29, so that movement of the piston rod will move the shelf 28 and the A spiral spring 34 may be provided acting in compression between the lower part of the cylinderY 31 and the under side of the piston 32. The strength of this spring 34 will preferably be sufficient to elevate the' piston to the top of the cylinder with the weight of the shelf,

guides, and idler roller attached to it. Thus the idler roller 27 may be elevated out of contact with a tube which is vin position in the` machine. The lower end ofthe cylinder 31 Y' is'pre'ferabl'y left' open to atmosphere.

I may provide pneumaticl means opposing the spring for moving the' idler roller 27 into cont-act with a tube. Thus by applying pneumatic pressure to the top of the piston 32 the shelf 28 is depressed andV with it the idler roller 27. Yieldable contact between the idler roller and the tube is thus established and maintained as long as desired. Release of the pneumatic pressure permits the spring 34 to withdraw the idler roller 27 from contact with the tube. `The idler roller may thus be adjusted kfor any diameter of tube passing through the machine and its A piston rod 33 proi j ecting downward from the piston 32 may be' pressure upon the tube may b e regulated by the pressure of vthe Vpneumatic fluid applied to the top of the piston. The cylinder, piston, and pneumatic means constitute means for yieldably holding the idler roller in adjusted'positionV Y i j y In operation a tube is projected 'into the space between the roller-motor unit and t-he -id-ler roller andthese two units arethen adjusted to give the (desired contact withthe tube. To this end the 'wheel` 21,V will be rotated in the proper direction to bring the motor-rollerunitinto contact with the tube,

vand thepneumatic means described will be applied to bring the idler roller also into con- A tact with the tube. The necessary adjustments will'be-made to give the desired pressure between the rollers Aand the tube, and the bolts 24, fastening lthe motor-rollerunit-` in place, will then be tightened. When the' motor is 'started the driving roller will rotate, thus rotating the tube.

Since the axes of all three rollers-stand at an angle to that of the tube .the path of each roller as the tube revolves will be that of,k 3.7799

helix about the tube axis. are constrained how-ever, from axial vmovement, ,they will apply an axial motion tothe tube, which will not only be rotated but will also be advanced through the machine. It willV be obvious, of course, that variations in the construction here illustrated and 'describedby way of example may be' easily made, and will quite naturally occur to one SinceV the rollers skilled in the art. YFor instance, .an idlerr n1C3 roller need not necessarily `be mountedk on the platform with a driving roller,- but may be positioned elsewhere. Also it is not necessary that pneumatic means be used to lower the platform and idler roller which have -been described. Sill further, itis not necessary that the motor? be mounted on a di'erent shelf from that which supports the Adriving roller. My claims are, therefore, to n be taken in the broadest sense consistent withrw the properscope of the present invention.

' I cla-im v 1. In apparatus for revolving and advancing tubes, a driving roller having its axis at, an angle of 4less than 90 to that of the tube to be revolved and advanced, a motor oper.-

atively associated with said driving roller,

and means for simultaneously adjusting the positions of said roller and said motor-With` respect to the tube.

structure movable vertically in -said frame, a driving roller carried by said supporting structure, a motor also carried by said supporting structure, means for adjusting the position of said supporting structure in said frame, and means for fixing said supporting structure in adjusted position on said frame, y .in combination with a. second supporting structure movable vertically in said frame, .an idler roller carried by said second supporting structure, and meansY for moving said second supporting structure in said frame tok bring said idler roller into andout of contact with a tube. v

4. Apparatus for revolving and advancing a tube comprising a frame, a supporting structure movable v'ertically'in said frame, a

driving roller carried by said supporting A structure, a motor also carried by said sup- Y porting structure, means for adjusting the positionof said supporting structure in said frame, and means for fixing said supporting structure in adjusted position on said frame, in combination with a second supporting structure movable vertically in said frame, an idler roller carried by said second-supporting structure, pneumatic means for moving said second supporting structure in said frame to bring said. idler roller into contact with a tube, and spring means lfor moving said second supporting structure and to bring said idler roller out of contact with the tube, substantially as described. l

5. Apparatus for revolving and advancing tubes comprising a driving roller adjustn able with respect to the tube axis, means for fixing said driving roller in adjusted position, an idler roller also adjustable With respect to the tube axis, and means for yieldably holding said idler roller in adjusted position.

6. Apparatus for revolving and advancingv a cylindrical work piece comprising a plurality of roller units independently movable toward or away from the axis of the Work piece7 one of said roller units consisting of a driving roller and an idler roller having their positions fixed relatively to each other and the other of said units consisting of an idler roller Whose axis stands at an angle to s the axis of the rollers of the irst unit.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

DONALD STUART SAMMIS.

Images