US2359396A - Method of and means for rounding workpieces - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 3, 1944.. E w, STACEY 2,359,395

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR ROUNDING WORK-PIECES Filed NOV. 21, 1941 '3 SheetS--Sheet l /m/E/v TUR'.

Oct. 3, 1944. E w, STACEYl 2,359,396

METHIOD OF AND MEANS FOR ROUNDING WORK-PIECES Filed Nov. 2l, 1941 3 Shees-Sheet 2 Fig: 2 z

E. W'. STACEY METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR ROUNDING WORK-PIECES Oct. 3, 1944.

Filed Nov. 21. 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 3, 1944 METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR. ROUNDIN G WORKPIECES Ernest W. Stacey, Beverly, Mass., assgnor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 21, 1941, Serial No. 419,824

26 Claims.

This invention relates to the rounding or cutting to form of work-pieces, it being especially applicable vto the production of soles for shoes, as insoles or outsoles.

In the rounding of work-pieces by the action upon vthem of a drag-knife, such as is employed in the well known Planet Sole Rounding Machine, the excess of blank-area over that of the finished piece produces a chip or waste-strip of differing widths. As the knife advances, it must free itself from this strip by forcing it outwardly. This produces a very considerable resistance to the cutting action, varying with the character and weight of the stock and with the degree of curvature of the pattern which guides the knife. In overcoming this resistance caused by the clearing of the chip, a substantial force other than that necessary to sever the blank must be applied. This may `have the effect of displacing the work from the clamping means, or, if the stock is soft, may stretch it away from the pattern. In either case, Vthe piece cut will not correspond in contour tothat of said pattern. It is an object of my invention to eliminate largely the chip-resistance, and thus allow the knife to follow the pattern accurately and to permit an increase in the thickness of the stock which may be formed during an operating cycle A feature of the invention, whereby this object is attained, lies in a method of rounding, in which relative movement is produced between a blank and a knife, as by moving the knife about a guiding pattern upon which. the blank is clamped, to cut from said blank a work-piece larger than the finished piece, and then continuing the relative movement by uninterrupted advance to cut` such larger piece to its finished form, as by shifting the knife from its initial position with respect to the pattern. By thus proceeding, the first cut may remove a waste-piece, the width of which does not impose uponY the knife undue lateral resistance. The Vsame is true of the second cut, with the result that ,no excessive displacing force need be applied to the work, and the knife will follow accurately the form of the pattern. In this way, work of considerable thickness, as a stack of sole-blanks, may be simultaneously operated upon.

Another feature -of the invention may be found in a machine which may be utilized to perform my improved method. I combine with a pattern, against which a blank or blanks is clamped for a rounding operation, and a co-operating rounding knife, thev two being relatively ymovable t carry the point of operation ofthe knife about the pattern, meansfor positioning the knife to produce successive roughing and nishing cuts upon the blank. In this action, the knife is preferably arranged initially to give the rough.- ing cut and then shifted automatically for the finishing cut, and nally returned to its initial position, both effects occurring during the relative movement between the knife and pattern. As herein disclosed, the knife is secured to a slide, movable toward and from the pattern upon a carrier revoluble about said pattern and guided thereby. The knife is shifted toward the pattern after the rst or roughing operation, and then from the pattern after the second or nishing operation. These shifts may be effected by an actuating member or plunger, yrevoluble with the carrier and which may also be moved on said carrier, as by means mounted upon the frame of the machine or other support xed relatively to the carrier. This rmeans is herein shown as haviing a cam formed upon a `primary slide, and by which the actuating member through intermediate connections carries the knife toward the pattern, while `a secondary slide, associated with the primary slide, returns the actuating member and knife to their initial positions. The secondary slide is movable rearwardly and downwardly, considering the cutting path of the knife, and I have taken advantage of the reverse movement of the knife, which is present in rounding machines, to cause this secondary slide to move the actuating member.

One of the several possible .embodiments of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a broken top plan View of the essential portions of my improved rounding machine;

Fig. 2, a View, partly in elevation and partly in section, vof the rounding knife with its more closely associated elements in the finish-cutting relation;

Fig- 3, a broken top plan View of the knife block and elements carried thereby;

Fig. 4, a broken side elevation of the mechanism by which the shifting of the knife is effected;

Fig. 5, a sectional detail on the line V-V of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6, a top plan view of the pattern with an applied blank, upon which are indicated the roughing and finishing cuts made by the machine;

Fig. 7, a View similar to Fig. 2, with the elements in the rough-cutting relation;

Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 4, taken when the rounding knife has been restored to its roughcutting position during its reverse travel; and

Fig. 9, a like view, at the termination of the reverse travel of the rounding knife.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings may be seen the rotatable support II! of the Planet sole rounding machine, with its oscillatory vcarrier-arm I2, spring-urged to maintain surfaces I3, I3 upon the end of its knife-block I4 in contact with the periphery of the pattern I6. This pattern is sep arably mounted upon posts I8, I8, rising from :a stationary frame-portion 28. A vertical dragknife 22 is carried at the forward portion of the block, and its cutting edge may be yieldably held about the pivot 24 of the block, by a tensionspring 26 joining the block to the carrier-arm, in the propeprelation to the work clamped upon the pattern. To enable the knife to operate simultaneously upon a plurality of blanks stacked upon the pattern, it may be of considerable length. To resist the displacing force upon the upper eX- tremity of the knife, it is shown as backed by an abutment-arm 28 extending from a post 38.

The knife 22, with its abutment and post, are secured to a slide 32, guided upon the block for movement toward and from the pattern beneath a cover-plate 34. Rotatable in the carrier-block at one side of the slide is a horizontal shaft 36. This shaft has projecting from its inner extremity a crank-pin 38, lying within a bore in a block 39 guided for vertical reciprocation in the slide. Upon the outer portion of the shaft, a pinion 40 is fast. Meshing with the pinion is a gear-segment 42, secured to a shaft 44 journaled in the* outer portion of the carrier-block and having extending from it an arm 46. Rotatable upon this arm is a roll 48, having a transversely curved periphery and occupying a horizontal groove 58 formed in one side of the elongated head 52 of an actuating plunger 54, this head and slot lying in an arc about the pivot 24 of the knife-block. The plunger is guided to slide vertically in a portion of the arm I2, and is retained in the position to which it may be carried by a friction device 56, movable in the arm and engaging the side of the plunger-head. When the plunger 54 is in its lowest position (Fig. '7), it has so rotated the shaft 36 through the arm 46 and gearing 42, 40, that the crank-pin 38 is farthestl removed from the periphery of the pattern I6, which, in Fig. 6, appears as a dash-dotline. Under these conditions, the slide 32 is so located that the roughing cut of the knife 22, indicated by the dash-line in Fig. 6, is separated from the periphery of the pattern to such an extent that there remains, after the primary chip or waste C has been severed from the blank B operated upon, a marginal portion c. When the plunger 54 is raised (Fig. 2), the crank-pin is revolved'through about 180, and the slide and knife are shifted toward the pattern, the latter cutting along the dotted line to remove the portion or secondary chip c and give the desired finished sole. In this inward movement of the knife, the plunger is relieved of a considerable portion of the force which would otherwise be necessary to effect the shift, by a spring 58 interposed between the slide 32 and a projection 59 from the cover-plate 34 of the knife-block. At the beginning of the ascent of the plunger, it carries the crank-pin over the center, and then the spring 58 expands to move the knife toward the pattern. This frees the knife-block of the resistance which would otherwise exist because of the engagement between the lever-roll 48 and the walls of the plunger-groove 50, and leaves the block free to oscillate about its pivot 24 as it travels about the pattern.

The mechanism which causes the plunger to assume the two positions producing the roughing and finishing cuts, respectively, is shown in Figs. Ll, 5, 8 and 9. Mounted'in ways 60 upon the frame-portion 28 is a primary slide 62, urged normally forward, in the direction of cutting travel of the knife 22, by an expansion-spring 61S. The upper surface 66 of the slide is in the form of a cam, which is of such contour and width that the lower end 68 of the plunger 54 will be engaged by it and elevated, as the support lil rotates, from the position which produces the roughing cut of the knife to that giving the finishing cut. To restore the plunger to its lowered relation, the primary slide 62 carries, at opposite sides in ways 'I0 inclined downwardly and rearwardly, with respect to the cutting travel of the knife, a secondary slide 12, which has spaced arms 58, i4, guided in the ways. Tension-springs '36, weaker than the spring 64, hold the secondary slide raised in its ways to an extent permitted by projections 'I8, 18 from the arms, drawn by the springs against the upper extremities of opposite slots 88, 88 in the primary slide. Pivoted at the upper end of the secondary slide 'I2 is a terminal portion 84, normally held up by a torsion-spring 86, so that its end 88 may enter a depression S8 in the adjacent side of the plunger In the Planet sole rounder, the support I0, the rotation of which causes the knife to make its cutting stroke, moves past its starting point to fully complete the cut, and then travels reversely to its initial position. 'Ihis is as disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,048,511, Eaton, December 31, 1912. In the reverse movement, the depression receives the end 88 of the terminal portion 84, forcing back the secondary slide, the springs 16 'elongating The inclination of the slots 88 causes the terminal portion to descend, lowering the plunger 54. The projections 76 having reached the lower ends of the slots 88 (Fig. 8), the plunger has, by its action upon the arm. 46, restored the knife to the rough. cutting position (Fig. '7). The reverse movement of the support I8 continues, the spring 64 now compressing as the primary slide 62 moves back (Fig. 9), until the knife 22 arrives at its starting point, where it is held as a result of the limited travel cf the slides. When the cam-surface 66 acted` upon the plunger at the end of the roughing out, the terminal portion 84 yielded idly against the spring 86, as the plunger-end 68 passed over it. At the beginning of the succeeding operating cycle, the plunger leaves the terminal portion and releases the two slides to be carried forward by their springs.

In the operation of this machine, the support I8 makes two successive turns during each cycle. In preparation for the rounding of a sole, the operator applies a blank B to a pattern I6 of the desired contour, and clamps it in place. The support will be in its initial relation, the lplunger 54 having its depression 90 in engagement with the end 88 of the portion 84 of the secondary slide l2. This slide and the primary slide 62 will have been forced back to their full extent (Fig. 9) by the reverse movement of the support at the termination of the previous operating cycle. The descent of the secondary slide in its inclined ways 'i6 will have lowered the plunger (Fig. 7), so the knife 22 is in a position to act along the line producing the chip C. When the machine is started in operation, the travel of the knife about the pattern is caused by the revolution of the carrierarm I2, the plunger 54 leaving the terminal portion 84 and allowing the springs 64 and 16 to move the slides and 12 to the positions illustrated in Fig. 4. The knife 22 makes its roughing cut under the guidance of the pattern, separating the chip C from the blank B but leaving a marginal portion outside the finished contour of the sole. its first circuit of the pattern, the end k68 of the plunger rides up the cam-surface 66, lifting said plunger and, through the lever 46, gearing 42, 4!) and crank-pin 38, shifting the slide 32 and knife to the inner position (Fig. 2). The second travel of the knife about the pattern causes it to make the finishing cut, removing the chip c `to form the desired sole. As a result of the successive removal of separate chips, the lateral resistance offered by the stock to the passage of the knife is diminished, so the drag upon the stock may be reduced to a point at which the displacing force upon the work is much too small to cause inaccurate following of the pattern. A plurality of work-pieces may, therefore, be operated upon during a single operating cycle. After the second cut has been made, the knife 22 is backed up in the usual manner. The depression 90 in the plunger now receives the end 88 of the terminal portion of the secondary slide, which is carried back, causing the downward component of its travel in the ways 1D to lower the knife to its rough-cutting position (Figs. '7 and 8). In the reverse movement, after the actuation of the secondary slide, the primary'slide 62 yields, until at the limit of its recession the elements are located for the initiation of another operating cycle (Fig. 9). The cut sole may be removed from the pattern and replaced by a blank.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A method of rounding shoe-soles, which consists in clamping together a sole-blank and a pattern, moving the knife and clamped work relatively to cause the point of operation of the knife to shift about the periphery of the pattern to cut from the blank a work-piece larger than the finished sole, continuing the relative movement by uninterrupted advance between the knife and the clamped work to produce the finished sole, and separating the rounded sole from the pattern.

2. A method of rounding, which consists in clamping together a blank and a pattern, moving a knife guided by contact with the pattern and about the periphery thereof to cut from the blank a work-piece larger than the finished form, and shifting the knife toward the pattern during an uninterrupted rounding operation and again moving it about said pattern guided as before to produce the finished piece.

3. In a rounding machine, the combinatil n with a pattern against which a blank may be clamped for the rounding operation, of a rounding knife, the' clamped blank and knife being movable relatively to carry the point of operation of the knife about the pattern, and means made effective during the operation of the machine for positioning the knife to produce successive roughing and finishing rounding cuts in the blank.

4. In a rounding machine, the combination with a, pattern against which a blank may be clamped for the rounding operation, of a rounding knife, the clamped blank and knife being As the knife approaches the end of movable relatively to carry the point of' operation of .the knife about the pattern, means for positioning the knife to produce successive'roughing and finishing rounding cuts in the blank, the knife being vinitially positioned to produce a roughing cut about the entire periphery of the pattern during the relative movement, and means for automatically moving the knife during'the relative movement to produce a finishing cut about the entire periphery of the pattern during further relative movement.

5. In a rounding machine, the combination with a pattern against which a blank may be clamped for the rounding operation, of a rounding knife, theclamped blank and knife being movable relatively to carry the point of operation of the knife about the pattern, means for positioning the knife to produce successive roughing and finishing rounding cuts in the blank, the knife being initially positioned to produce a roughing cut about the entire periphery of the pattern-during the relative movement, means for moving the knife during the relative movement to produce a finishing cut about the entire periphery 0f the pattern during further relative movement, and means acting during further movement for returning the knife to its initial position.

6. In a rounding machine, a pattern against which a'blank may be clamped for the rounding operation, a knife positioned by the pattern, means for moving the knife and clamped blank relatively to carry the point of operation of the knife about the periphery of the pattern and cut from the blank a work-piece larger than the finished form, and means for then shifting the knife toward the pattern during an uninterrupted rounding operation and continuing its movement about said pattern to cut from the blank a finished piece.

7. In a rounding machine, a pattern against which a blank may be clamped for the rounding operation, a knife positioned by the pattern, the knife and clamped blank being movable relatively to carry the point of operationY of the knife about the periphery of the pattern'continuously for a, plurality of times during each operating cycle, and means for automatically shifting the knife toward the pattern after the first operation of the knife about said pattern.

V8,. In a rounding machine, a pattern against which a blank may be clamped for the rounding operation, aV knife positioned by the pattern, the knife and clamped blank being movable relatively to carry the `point of operation of the knife during each operating cycle twice about the periphery of the pattern, means for automatically shifting the knife toward the pattern after the first operation of the knife about said pattern, and means for shifting the knife from the pattern afterV its second operation.

9. In a rounding machine, a pattern with which a blank maybe associated, -a carrier revoluble about the pattern, a rounding knife movable upon theV carrier, a revoluble actuating member by which the knife is moved into two operating positions, and means engaged by the actuating member in its revolution for moving it in opposite directions.

l0. In a rounding machine, a pattern with which a blank may be associated, a rounding knife, a carrier upon which the knife is movable and which is revoluble forwardly about the pattern to produce the rounding cut of the knife and then reversely, and means made effective during the operation of the machine for moving the knife upon the carrier during, the reverse movement of said carrier.

11. In a rounding machine, a pattern With which a .blank may be associated, a rounding knife, a carrier upon which the knife is movable and which is revoluble forwardly about the pattern to produce .the rounding out of the knife and then reversely, means for moving the knife toward the pattern during the forward movement of the carrier, and means made effective during the operation of the machine for moving the knife from the pattern during :the reverse movement of the carrier.

12. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a carrier revoluble about the pattern, a block pivoted upon the carrier and having a guide-surface engaging the pattern, a slide movable upon the block, a knife fixed in the slide, and means for moving the slide to shift the knife toward and from the pattern-engaging surface of the block.

13. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a carrier revoluble about the pattern, a block pivoted upon the carrier and having. a guide-surface engaging the pattern, a slide movable upon the block, a knife xed in the slide, a plunger movable in the carrier, and means for communicating the movement of the plunger to the slide.

14. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a carrier revoluble about the pattern, a block pivoted upon the carrier and having a guide-surface engaging the pattern, a slide movable upon the block, a knife xed in .the slide, a plunger movable in the carrier, means for communicating the movement of the plunger to the slide, and means for assisting the plunger in moving the slide.

15. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a carrier revoluble about the pattern, a block pivoted upon the carrier and having, a guide-surface engaging the pattern, a `Slide movable upon the block, a knife xed in the slide, a plunger movable in the carrier and having a groove, and a lever fulcrumed upon the block and connected to the slide, said lever having a portion movable in the groove of the plunger.

16. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a carrier revoluble about the pattern, a block pivoted upon the carrier and having a guide-surface engaging the pattern, a slide movable upon the block, a knife fixed in the slide, a plunger movable in .the carrier and having a groove, a lever fulcrumed upon the block and connected to the slide, said lever having a portion movable in the groove of the plunger, and a spring acting upon the slide to move the knife toward the pattern.

17. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a carrier revoluble about the pattern, a block pivoted upon the carrier and having a guide-surface engaging the pattern, a slide movable upon the block, `a knife xed in the slide, a shaft rotatable in the block and having a crank-pin acting upon the slide, a lever fulcrumed upon the block, gearing connecting the lever and shaft, and means for oscillating the lever.

18. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a carrier revoluble about the pattern and guided thereby, a rounding knife movable upon the carrier to produce its cut at different distances from the guiding surface of the pattern, an actuating member movable upon the carrier to position the knife, and means mounted upon a support xed against revolution with the carrier for moving the actuating member.

19. In a rounding machine, a frame, a pattern mounted upon the frame, a carrier revoluble about the pattern and guided thereby, a rounding knife movable upon the carrier to produce its cut at different distances from the guiding surface of the pattern, an actuating member movable upon the carrier to position the knife, and a cam movable upon the frame and acting upon the actuating member in the movement of the carrier.

20. In a rounding machine, a frame, a pattern mounted upon the frame, a carrier revoluble about the pattern and guided thereby, a rounding knife movable upon the carrier to produce its cut at different distances from the guiding surface of the pattern, an actuating member movable upon the carrier to position the knife, and means mounted upon the frame for moving the actuating member in opposite directions.

2l. In a rounding machine, a pattern, a carrier revoluble in opposite directions about the pattern and guided thereby, a rounding knife movable upon the carrier to produce its cut at different distances from the guiding surface of the pattern, an actuating member movable upon the carrier to position the knife, and members mounted upon a support fixed relatively to the carrier and engaging the actuating member to move it oppositely during the opposite movements of the carrier.

22. In a rounding machine, a frame, a pattern mounted upon the frame, a carrier revoluble in opposite directions about the pattern and guided thereby, a rounding knife movable upon the carrier to produce its cut at different distances from the guiding surface of the pattern, an actuating member movable upon the carrier to position the knife for its different cuts, means mounted upon the frame and engaging the actuating member to move it in one direction during the advance of the carrier to give one position of the knife, and means movable upon the frame by the actuating member in the reverse movement of the carrier and in such movement producing another position of the knife.

23. In a rounding machine, a frame, a pattern mounted upon the frame, a carrier revoluble in opposite directions about the pattern and guided thereby, a rounding knife movable upon the carrier to produce its cut at different distances from the guiding surface of the pattern, an actuating member movable upon the carrier to position the knife for its different cuts, a cam mounted upon the frame and engaging the actuating member to move it in one direction during the advance of the carrier to give one position of the knife, and a slide movable upon the frame in an inclined direction by the actuating member upon reverse movement of the carrier and in such movement moving the actuating member to produce another position of the knife.

24. In a rounding machine, a frame, a pattern mounted upon the frame, a carrier revoluble in opposite directions about the pattern and,

guided thereby, a rounding knife movable upon the carrier to produce its cut at different distances from the guiding surface of the pattern, an actuating member movable upon the carrier to position the knife, and a slide yieldable upon the frame and having a cam-surface by which the actuating member is moved, said slide yielding under the influence of the actuating member upon reverse movement of the carrier to a point at which it stops such reverse movement.

25. In a rounding machine, a frame, a pattern mounted upon the frame, a carrier revoluble in opposite directions about the pattern and guided thereby, a rounding knife movable upon the carrier to produce its cut at different distances from the guiding surface of the pattern, an actuating member movable upon the carrier to position the knife, a primary slide yieldable upon the frame and having a cam-surface by which the actuating member is moved in one direction, and a secondary slide yieldable in a downwardly and rearwardly inclined direction upon the primary slide under the iniiuence of the actuating member upon reverse movement of the carrier` and engaging said actuating member to move it in the opposite direction.

26. In a rounding machine, a frame, a pattern mounted upon the frame, a carrier revoluble in opposite directions about the pattern and guided thereby, a rounding knife movable upon the carrier to produce its cut at dierent distances from the guiding surface of the pattern, an actuating member movable upon the carrier to position the knife, a primary slide yieldable upon the frame and having a cam-surface by whichthe actuating member is moved in one direction, and a secondary slide yieldable in a downwardly and rearwardly inclined direction upon the primary slide under the innuence of the actuating member upon reve-rse movement of the carrier and engaging said actuating member to move it in the opposite direction, the extent of yield of the slides limiting such reverse movement of the carrier.

ERNEST W. STACEY.

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