US3102574A - Ventilated wall construction for roll-former machines and the like - Google Patents

Description

c. F. ENGEL 3,102,574

CONSTRUCTION FOR ROLL-FORMER Sept. 3, 1963 VENTILATED WALL MACHINES AND THE LIKE Flled OCT, 26, 1960 INVENTOR.

CHARLES F. E GEL HIS ATTORNEY.

w a K. 2747/1 I, w-

a&wvv vvi s w i 2 3 3 9 5 63 2 3 u 6 5 H I a United States Patent The present invention relates to the construction of machines having walls supporting a plurality of trans verse rotating shafts, and it has particular application to the construction of machines having a succession of rolls in aligned upper and lower machine elements, for the progressive forming of sheet metal strips.

The purposes of the present invention include the following: to construct the walls of such machines from metal plates thin enough for punching and piercing operations, rather than the conventional cutting and boring operations; to cool and ventilate bushings for bearings supported by the walls and to provide better lubrication tosuch bearings; and to provide simple, reliable alignment and tensioning means between the walls of the upper and lower elements of such machines. Other purposes will be apparent from the remainder of this specification.

Such purposes are accomplished in the present invention, in general, by using walls each consisting of a pair. of parallel, openly spaced plates, formed by punching a nd piercing, whose pierced bores support. the ends of spacer members such as bushings whose midportions are diametrically enlarged to establish the spacing between said side walls, thus providing for the flow of ventilating air between the plates and. the use of lubrication fittings at the midportions of the bushings. The spaces between the plates are also utilized to accommodate the align-,

installation to secure the punched, pierced plates in fiat parallel alignment. i A preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective viewof the construction which is the subject of the present invention, as applied to one end of a progressive roll-former machine of the type having a series of pairs of mating rollers extending over a substantial length. Because of the general similarity of such progressive rolls in series, only the right end of the machine is illustrated. I

:FIGURE 2 is a View, partly in section, taken along line 2--2 of FIGURE 1, immediately beneath the outer side wall plates.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along line |l-4 of FIGURE 1. I p FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the left end of line 55 of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawing by the detail part numbers, I provide a work table surface 10, shown fragmentarily chine.

in FIGURE 1, having a rectangular cut-out 111. Screws 12 whose heads are flush with the table surface 10, engage threaded support blocks 13 set into and between outer and inner lower wall plates 14, 15 respectively of a lower machinery element generally designated a. The plate upper edges 16 project into the rectangular cut-out 11 and extend to the work'table surface 10. d

The wall plates 14, 15 are formed of rigid steel plate material thin enough to be blanked on a fairly highcapacity punch press or similar machine tool. These plates have a number of circular bores aligned with each other, preferably formed by a mere piercing operation (nevertheless referred to as bores). The circular holes so pierced lie in two horizontal lines. In the upper lineare the bushing bores 17, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 5; whereas the lower line consists of the smaller clamping bores 18, as shown in FIGURES 2and 3. The bores 17 and 18 in the outer and inner plates 14, 1 5, are concentric with each other and, depending on the details of construction employed, may be of the same diameter or of different diameters.

. The space between the outer and inner lower wall plates forcing a hardened ball, whose diameter is slightly larger than that of the bushings 21 as supplied, through the center of the bushings 21 and thusexpanding them to fit tightly Within the bushing bores 17. The outer wall of each of the bushings 21 has end portions 22 which terminate inwardly in 90 shoulders 23. Between the shoulders 23 is a diametrically enlarged midportion 24 whose length equals the spacing to be established between the outer and'inner wall plates 114, 15.

InFIGURE 5, the enlarged bushing midportion 24 is shown equipped with a radially drilled lubricating passage 25, at the outlet of which is a lubricating fitting 26, secured to a tube 27 for supplying lubricant under 1 pressure, from a source not shown; While each of the bushings 21 maybe so equipped for lubrication, if

desired, in most installations such lubrication will be i Spacing of the wall plates 14, 15 is also accomplished by spacing washers 30 such as shown in FIGURE '4, mounted on shoulder bolts 31'whose shank portions 32 fill the clamping bores 18. i The shoulder bolts 31 engage tapped holes in the ends of rigid spacer rods 33 which extend transversely across the machine: and establish the spacing of the inner wall plates 15from each other. Conveniently, the spacer rods 33, with their attaching shoulder bolts 31 and spacing washers 3%], are' used in parallel horizontal rows, as shown in FIGURE 1; spaced between the successive forming rolls hereinafter described but vertically removed farther from the level at which the sheet metal to be. formed will pass through the ma- While the description so far has been directed specifically to the roll-carrying frame which forms part of the lower machinery element a, it applies as well to the upper machinery element, generally designated b, save in the respects hereinafter noted and which will be obvious from the drawings. Specifically, the upper machinery element 17 includes similarly spaced-apart outer upper wall plates 14' and inner upper wall plates 15' whose lower edges 36 are spaced a fraction of an inch above the level of the table surface '10. This spacing establishes a gap 37 at the right side of the machine through which a metal sheet, passed along the work table surface 10 generally outward of the right outer upper thereadjacent. To permit such fianging action,-the right U-bolt 40 shown in FIGURES l and 4, is spaced well inwardly of the forming roll portions adjacent to the inner wall plates 15, 15 at the right side of the machine. At the left side of the machine, the gap which would otherwise exist is blocked by the left U-bolt 41 and the alignment gibs 58], 59 hereafter described.

With respect to bushing bores 17, clamping bores 18 and bushings 21, as well as the general arrangement of forming rolls, gears and other machinery elements hereafter 3 to be described, the upper machinery element b is generally similar to the lower machinery element a and substantially symmetrical thereto about a horizontal plane taken through the middle of the gap =37.

Supported in the bushings 21 and extending on horizonal axes transversely across the lower machinery element a andthe upper machinery element bare a succession of lower and upper progressive forming rolls generally designated 42, 42', 43, 43', 44, 44', etc., commencing at the right end of the machine as shown in FIGURE 1. The left end'of the roll 43 is shown in FIGURE and is typical. Beginning at its left end, it has a shaft end 45 formed with an outer cylindrical bearing surface 46 which is supported in a needle bearing 47 such as is featured in each of the bushings 2i1. Inwardly of the shaft end 45 is an integral gear '48, and to the right thereof is cut the lower roll profiles 49.- It will be seen that the upper gears 43' and upper rol-l profiles 49 will mate with the corresponding power gears and roll profiles at each stage, from right to left. The rollprofiles 49, 49' vary from right to left progressively to effect progressive forming of metal which is passed therethrough. Idler gears 50 and their eral patterns, the first of which provides for forming to the left side of the right U-bolt 40, and the other which provides foriforming at the right side of the right U-bolt 40, in which case the metal to be formed may pass through the gap 37. The right U-abolt 40 in the position shown in FIGURE 1 has its counterpart in a second similar right U-bolt similarly mounted near the left endof the machine. Referring to FIGURE 4, the right U-bolt 40 has its lower bend 51 seated in a groove 52 in the lower spacer rod 36; and a correspondingly located but broader groove 53 in the spacer rod 33 directly above it serves as a seat for the lower semi-circular cut-out 55 of an inverted U-shaped 64-, the tang 63" extending below the upper edge 16 of the lower wall plates 14, 15, into the space provided by the cut-out 64- in the lower gib 58; while the cut-out 64 similarly accepts the tang 6 3 of the lower gib 58. j

A second set of gibs is provided at some convenient point near the left end of the machine, aligned symmetrically with the set here described. Reciprocal movement of the tangs 63 within the cut-outs 6'4 permits vertical spacing of the upper machinery element b with respect to the lower machinery element a, for adjustment and resiliency of operation, but maintains fore and aft alignment; while the projection of the tangs '63 beyond the plate edges 16, 36 serves as a lateral aligning means.

Alignment is also preserved and adjustable tension ap pliedpby the left U-bolt 41 whose U-shaped bend 6'5 fits around the rounded outer end 66 of the lower gib 58. The U-bolt 41 has parallel stems 67 spaced to fit closely about vertical side. edges of the gibs 58, 58. These stems 67 are longer than those of the right 'U-bolt 40 and extend to and beyond the outermost edges of the oppositema chinery element, that is, to and beyond the upper edges of the upper inner and outer wall plates 14, 15, land the 1 diameter of the stems 67 substantially fills the space be- -bracket is equipped with a resilient leather strip 56,

saddle bracket '54. The parallel stems of the right U- bolt =40 extend through bores in the center of the inverted U-shaped saddle bracket 54 and through a somewhat re- I sil -lent leather strip 56, against which adjusting nuts 57 'bear to bring about the desired tightness of the assembly.

At the left side of the machine illustrated, precise planar alignment is maintained between the outer lower and upper wall plates 14, 1'4 and likewise between the inner lower and upper plates 15, 15'; also, fore-and-aft in-plane alignment is maintained. The parts which serve these functions .will now be described.

On the shoulder bolts '31 which engage those spacer rods 33 onto which the left U-bolts 41 are to be mounted, lower and upper mating gibs 58, -58 serve 'as spacers between the inner and outer wall plates, 14, 14, 15, 15', as shown in FIGURE 3. As shown, the gibs 58, 58' con sisteach oftWo identical stamped-out pieces whose coma shoulder bolt 31; and has an inner bore 60 shown as being of somewhat larger diameter, which receives a heavy locating pin 61 extending through the corresponding locating pin bores 62 in the outer and inner lower and upper wall plates 7 1'4, 15, 14',- 15', as shown in FIGURE 3. Half of the upper edge of the lower gib 58 is a tang 63, extending upward above the lower edge 36 of the upper wall plates 14, 15. The other half is a cut-out 64 which extends downwardly below the upper edge 16 of the lower wall plates 14, 15. As shown in FIGURE 2, the upper gib 58 :has in its lower edge a similar tang 63' and cut-out similarly bored, and adjusting nuts 57 bearthereagainst to achieve necessary tension in the U- bolt 41, yet providing appropriate resiliency.

It will be seen that the open spacing of the vertical plates 14, 15, 14, .15, provides walls through which ventilating air will circulate ireely, cooling the bushings 21. The oil originally supplied in the needle bearings 47 will therefore last much longer than without such ventilation. Wherever supplemental lubrication is provided to fittings 26 at midportions of the bushings 21, the wall plates between which the lubricant tubes 27 pass, protect them from inadvertent damage. Further, the simple alignment and tensioningconnector means consisting of the U bolts 41 and gibs 58, 58', utilize their snug fit within the spacing between the walls for a simplicity of conterized in that the walls each comprise a pair of flat.

plates spaced from and parallel to each other and having aligned bores within which the bushings, are secured at their ends, and in that the bushings each have a diamet rically-enlarged mlidportion between its ends of such I width as to space the plates from each other, whereby ventilating air Lrnayflow between said plates and past said bushing midportions. r 2. The construction defined in claim 1, together with lubrication means communicating between the spaced plates to the mid portions of the bushings.

3. Roll-former machine construlction of the type comprising an upper. roll carrying element and a lower rollcarrying element, each including a plurality of transverse rotatable roller shafts, bushings supporting the shafts for rotation, and vertical side walls supporting and spacing the bushings, the side walls of at least one side of said elements being in planar alignment with each other, characterined in that said side walls so in alignment each comprise a pair of plates secured parallel to each other in open-spaced relationship, and in that connecting and aligning means are provided in the spaces between the plates of said side walls and extending from one element to the other.

4. Roll-former amalchine construction of the typecomprising anupper roll-carrying element and a lower rollcarrying element, each including a plurality of transverse rotatable roller shafts, bushings supporting the shafts for rotation and side walls supporting and spacing the bushings, the side walls at at least one side of said upper element and said lower element being aligned with each other, each of said side walls so in alignment comprising a pair of plates, means to clamp the plates of each of said pairs parallel to each other in open-spaced relationship, and means located within the spaces between the said plates to maintain the said alignment.

5. Alignment and tensioning construction for machines of the type having aligned upper and lower machinery elements, comprising vertical walls for such elements, each wall having a pair of vertical wall plates, means securing them together in open-spaced, parallel relationship, an upper gib mounted between the walls of the upper machinery element, said gib having vertical side edges and having in its lower edge a tang portion extending downward below the upper edge of the wall plates of the lower machinery element and a cut-out extending upward above the lower edge of the plates of the upper machinery element, a lower gib mounted between the walls of the lower machinery element, said lower gib being of the same width as the upper gib and having vertical side edges and having in its upper edge a tang portion extending upward above the lower edge of the wall plates of the upper machinery element and received within the cut-out of the upper gib, further having in its upper edge a cut-out extending downward below the upper edge of the plates of the lower machinery element, within which cut-out the tang portion of the upper gib is received, further comprising a tension connector having a pair of parallel stems joined at one end and there mounted between one of said pairs of spaced wall plates, the stems extending vertically therefrom to and between the other pair of spaced wall plates and to the outermost edges thereof and encompassing between the stems the vertical side edges of the upper and lower gibs, together with a bracket spanning and bearing against said outermost edges of said other pair of spaced wall plates and means mounted upon said bracket to exert tension on the stems of said connector.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,274,086 Buck Feb. 24, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,035,969 Germany Aug. 7, -8

Claims (1)

1. 5. ALIGNMENT AND TENSIONING CONSTRUCTION FOR MACHINES OF THE TYPE HAVING ALIGNED UPPER AND LOWER MACHINERY ELEMENTS, COMPRISING VERTICAL WALLS FOR SUCH ELEMENTS, EACH WALL HAVING A PAIR OF VERTICAL WALL PLATES, MEANS SECURING THEM TOGETHER IN OPEN-SPACED, PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP, AN UPPER GIB MOUNTED BETWEEN THE WALLS OF THE UPPER MACHINERY ELEMENT, SAID GIB HAVING VERTICAL SIDE EDGES AND HAVING IN ITS LOWER EDGE A TANG PORTION EXTENDING DOWNWARD BELOW THE UPPER EDGE OF THE WALL PLATES OF THE LOWER MACHINERY ELEMENT AND A CUT-OUT EXTENDING UPWARD ABOVE THE LOWER EDGE OF THE PLATES OF THE UPPER MACHINERY ELEMENT, A LOWER GIB MOUNTED BETWEEN THE WALLS OF THE LOWER MACHINERY ELEMENT, SAID LOWER GIB BEING OF THE SAME WIDTH AS THE UPPER GIB AND HAVING VERTICAL SIDE EDGES AND HAVING IN ITS UPPER EDGE A TANG PORTION EXTENDING UPWARD ABOVE THE LOWER EDGE OF THE WALL PLATES OF THE UPPER MACHINERY ELEMENT AND RECEIVED WITHIN THE CUT-OUT OF THE UPPER GIB, FURTHER HAVING IN ITS UPPER EDGE A CUT-OUT EXTENDING DOWNWARD BELOW THE UPPER EDGE OF THE PLATES OF THE LOWER MACHINERY ELEMENT, WITHIN WHICH CUT-OUT THE TANG PORTION OF THE UPPER GIB IS RECEIVED, FURTHER COMPRISING A TENSION CONNECTOR HAVING A PAIR OF PARALLEL STEMS JOINED AT ONE END AND THERE MOUNTED BETWEEN ONE OF SAID PAIRS OF SPACED WALL PLATES, THE STEMS EXTENDING VERTICALLY THEREFROM TO AND BETWEEN THE OTHER PAIR OF SPACED WALL PLATES AND TO THE OUTERMOST EDGES THEREOF AND ENCOMPASSING BETWEEN THE STEMS THE VERTICAL SIDE EDGES OF THE UPPER AND LOWER GIBS, TOGETHER WITH A BRACKET SPANNING AND BEARING AGAINST SAID OUTERMOST EDGES OF SAID OTHER PAIR OF SPACED WALL PLATES AND MEANS MOUNTED UPON SAID BRACKET TO EXERT TENSION ON THE STEMS OF SAID CONNECTOR.

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