US1961239A - Ball forming machine - Google Patents

Description

June 5, 1934. Q MUNRQ BALL FORMING MACHINE Filed Sept. 24. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR filaz'ander Cffwp o B Y m K M, ATTEiR/VEYJ June 5, 1934. A. c. MUNRO 1,961,239

BALL FORMING MACHINE Filed Sept. 24, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l N V E N TOR wander 63 171027 9 A TTORNEKS' Patented June 5, 1934 UNITED STATES BALL FORMING MACHINE Alexander 0. Munro, Britannia Beach, British Columbia, Canada Application September 24, 1932, Serial No. 634,739

3 Claims. (01. sc -23) This invention relates to a machine for forming balls or approximately spherical bodies from suitable material such as bars or rails. The invention is particularly intended for forming balls intended for use in tube or ball mills or similar apparatus and for utilization for such purpose of discarded or worn railroad rails which have been brought to suitable shape by rolling or otherwise, but the invention is applicable to the production of balls from metal bars or rails produced in any suitable manner.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an improved ball forming machine with means for insuring approximately spherical smooth shape of the finished balls. In ball forming machines operating by the action of rolls on a bar in such manner that the bar is trans-.

versely scored to gradually increasing depth and is finally out off, an objection arises that in the final cutting off operation there is generally left a rough spot or projection on each side of the ball and the tendency is for the ball to revolve in the finishing grooves of the rolls without rolling out these rough spots. My present invention provides means for insuring rolling out of such rough spots to produce an approximately smooth finished ball.

A further object of the invention is to provide for positive turning of the bar stock entering the rolls so as to insure proper operation of the rolls thereon.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the embodiments of my invention, and referring thereto:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a ball forming machine provided with my improvements; the bearings at the feed end of the machine being shown in section and the ball guide at the front side of the rolls being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation taken from the right hand end of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 in Fig. 1.

The machine comprises a pair of rolls, namely, an upper roll 1 and a lower roll 2 mounted respectively on shafts 3 and 4: journalled in suitable bearings 5 and 6 on standards 7 and 8 in the usual manner of machines of this kind, the bearings being mounted, for example, in guideways in said standards and adjusted by shims 9 and screws 10 so as to provide for adjustment of the distance apart of the rolls and for firm support of the rolls during the forming operation.

Suitable means are provided for driving the rolls 1 and 2, for example, a driving gear 12 carried by a driving shaft 13, mounted in a fixed bearing and engaging gear wheels 14 and 15 respectively on the shafts 3 and 4 of the rolls 1. and 2, so as to operate said rolls in the same rotative direction and at substantially the same rotative velocity.

A guide passage or feed opening 16 is provided in standard 8 for guiding the stock indicated at 18 into position between the rolls, and guide means 19 are provided extending between the standards 5 and 6 and secured thereto so as to guide the stock or work in its passage between the rolls, these guide means 19 extending in the re-entrant angle between the roll surfaces at each side of the axis of the machine, which is also the axis of the feed passage 16. A delivery passage 20 is formed in the standard '7 leading to a discharge chute 21 for delivering the formed balls to any suitable receiving means.

Each roll, 1 and 2, is formed with a helical rib or flange extending from end to end thereof, said rib forming a series of spaced convolutions about the body of the roll. In the initial portion of each roll, this rib, as indicated at 22, is of gradually increasing height, so as to provide a gradual intrusion of the rib into the material of the stock for progressive formation of the balls. At a certain portion thereof, for example, at about midlength of the roll this rib is provided on one of said convolutions with an enlarged portion 23 or projection extending around the roll through a minor portion of its circumference acting as a cut-off or knife for suddenly severing the formed ball. This knife portion may be formed on or secured to the flange or rib in any suitable manner, for example, by welding it onto the flange. The flange or rib portion 24 succeeding the knife portion 23 may be of uniform height as shown, or if desired, may be varied in height in any suitable manner, the function of these flange portions being to finish and smooth the ball and deliver it to the delivery means 20. The flange or rib portions 24 are shown as increasing in pitch toward the delivery end, but the said flange or rib portions 24 may, if desired, be of uniform pitch.

The lateral guides 19 are preferably provided with notches indicated at 25 at a portion thereof which is opposite the knife portions on the ribs so that as the rolls rotate the said knife 1015) portions will traverse said notches in the guide means 19.

My present invention provides in additionto the above described construction, means for insuring turning or twisting of the balls after they means 26. The guides 19 are shown as provided.

with notches on the side disposed toward roll 1, in position to permit projectionz26tce passthrough said notches.

My present invention further comprises. projections 28 on the first turn of each roll 1' and 2 which are suitably formed andtspacedzt'o posi;

tively engage the work or bar stock as the same.

enters between the rolls so as to positively rotate such.- bar. stockv and insureproper operation of. the rolls thereon.. The initial portions of the rolls-are spaced sufficiently far. apartto enable the. stock. toenter between the rolls and to be engaged. by said. projections.

In the operation of the machine the stock, indicated at- 18 is. fed forwardly through the passage. 16 into. the space. between the rollsandis then subjected to aformingoperation. between the adjacent faces of. the rolls.. As the stock enters .between theroll'sthe projections 28 on the. rolls engage the same. to positively rotate the stock and. insure more effective grip. of. the rolls thereon, it being understoodthat assoonas the.

rolls have begun to score or groovethe stock the.

gripofthe rolls on the stockwilllbe. sufficient to complete the operation. By reasonof. the. rota-- tion of lthe rolls in the same. rotative. direction.

these adjacent faces of the roll move in opposite.

--linear directions with the result that there. is

relatively little,,if any, lateralforce. exerted. on. the stock; but the flanges or ribs. tend. to score or" groove the. stock on opposite sides and to rotate the stock. so as to cause circumferential. grooves'to be formed in the stock,.the.spacing ofiithe grooves corresponding to the. spacing. of:

the ribs1on the rolls and'tlie grooves beingprogressivelydeepened as the stock isv fed forwardly. bythe rolls, this feeding, operation being also eifected by thehelical flanges or ribs. When. the

work reaches" the portion of. the. rolls occupied.

by the'knife means 23;, it is suddenly and com.- pletely' severed' by, thev operation. of said knife means. I have found that whenit is attempted.

- to twist and cut off the ballswithout the use of. such knife means, thewear. on. the ribs is excessive' apparently by reason of the. increasingly greater peripheral diameter ofi the. ribs. which. causes the ball-stock to. be. twisted. unduly; before being. severed,. and'. the. provision. of. the

knife means avoids this difficulty. After leaving the knife means the balls are finished in the groove portions of the rolls at the delivery end' thereof, so as to smooth and finish the ball, the ball being finally delivered to the delivery means 20.

The severing of the ball as above described generally leaves a rough spot or projection at each side oftheball where the final severance takes place but by the operation of the flipper or projection 26, the ball is given a partial rotation or twist shortly after the severing operation by impact of said projection 26 with one side of theball, thereby bringing the said rough spots into position for operation of the rolls thereon to-smooth out such rough spots and to form an approximately smooth finished ball.

I claim:

1. A ball forming machine comprising bearing means, a pair of rolls mounted to rotate on said; bear-ing. means. and having parallel axes,

means for driving each. roll. inthe same rotative direction,. each roll having. av helical; rib. formed thereon andincreasing. gradually in depth from. one end of the respective roll. towardsthe other end thereof, and adaptedto form. and sever. balls fromstock. fed betweenthe rolls, and a projection on: one. ofthe rolls adapted. to engage the formed ballwhensevered to turnthe. ball so. as to cause difierent. portions of the ball. to. come into engagement with the respective rolls.

2. A ballforming machine comprising bearing meanaa pair ofroll's mounted to rotate. on said.-

bearing meansand. having parallel axes,. said. rolls being spaced apart sufficiently to permit entrance between the rolls of. the stock to be formed intoballs, means for driving. each. rollin thesame rotative direction,.each rollhaving.

a helicalFrih formed thereon. and increasing gradually in. depth. fromone. end of the respective rolltoward the other endthereof and adaptedto form and sever balls.- from suitable stock fed.

between therolls and; said. rolls. being. provided with project-ions on the initial portionsof. each.

of the helical ribs on. each r.oll.to positively engage and: rotate the stock.

3;. A. ball forming. machine comprising. bearing; means;v a pair. of rolls mounted to rotate. on saidv bearing means. and. having... parallel. axes,. means for driving both rolls in the same dire-c-- tion,-. each roll having a helical rib-formed. there onand increasing graduallyin. depth from. one. endofthe. respective roll towardthe other end thereof,. and. provided withv a knife portion. for.-

severingtherballs, and. aprojection. on one of A the-rollsadapted to. engage the. formed and. severed balls to turn theballso. as to cause. different portions of the balls to. come into engagement with the respective rolls.

ALEXANDER C. MUNRO.

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