METHOD OF MANUFACTURING POLY-V PULLEYS AND THE PRODUCTS

Abstract: The present application discloses improvements in a method of manufacturing poly-V pulleys and the products. According to the method of the present invention, after the cylindrical peripheral wall of a cup-shape blank (4) produced by drawing a metal plate has been thickened, V-shape grooves having improved precision are formed with a V-shape groove forming roller (17) and an inner groove forming rotary mold (15) being simultaneously applied respectively to the outer and inner peripheral surfaces of the cylindrical peripheral wall (4a). The V-shape groove forming roller includes a rolling face having a plurality of parallel V-shape crests divided by steep valleys (17a). The inner groove forming rotary mold has annular V-shape projections in the peripheral direction of the mold at the positions corresponding to the valleys of the forming roller.

Description: The present invention relates to improvements in a method of manufacturing poly-V pulleys and the products, and more particularly to improvements in a method of manufacturing poly-V pulleys with the use of a step of thickening the pulley peripheral wall, and the products. In recent years, there have been widely used sheet metal poly-V pulleys each of which is made in such a way that a metal plate is subjected to drawing to produce a cup-shape blank, and then a plurality of annular sharp V-grooves called poly-V grooves are formed in the peripheral wall of such cup-shape blank. As compared with pulleys made with the use of a widely known mold, such sheet metal poly-V pulleys present advantages that they are of lighter weight and manufactured with reduced costs. Therefore, such poly-V pulleys have been widely used in an automobile industry or the like. As far as the applicant knows, there are two types of sheet metal poly-V pulleys and methods of manufacturing the same. According to a first type as disclosed in DE-OS 3 016 799, the cylindrical peripheral wall of a cup-shape blank is compressingly folded to produce V-shape grooves, so that a completed product poly-V pulley is obtained. According to a second type, as disclosed in the US-Patent No. 4,273,547 a so-called peripheral wall thickening step is used; namely the cylindrical peripheral wall of a cup-shape blank is thickened before subjected to rolling with the use of a V-shape groove forming roller. The present invention relates to improvements in the invention of the second type above-mentioned. The US-Patent No.4,273,547 discloses a poly- V pulley made in such a way that a metal plate is subjected to drawing to produce a cup-shape blank, the cylindrical peripheral wall of the cup-shape blank is then thickened, and a so-called rolling is performed with a V-shape groove forming roller pressingly applied to the outer surface of thus thickened cylindrical peripheral wall, thereby to form in this outer surface a plurality of parallel V-shape annular grooves extending in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical peripheral wall. In the state of art as disclosed by EP-A1-79 419 (published 25.3.83, and thus relevant under EPC Article 54 (3) from a sheet metal cup-shaped blank with annular inner grooves and annular outer grooves, with the bottom of the annular inside groove being located outside the cylindrical plane through the bottom of the annular outside grooves, so that the material between the inner cylindrical surface and the bottom of the outer groove becomes very thin decreasing the strength considerably and, thus, providing a danger of cracking during normal operation. The reference discloses a thickening step in general, but indicates that this thickening step should be carried out according to the disclosure of US-A 4 273 547. This US-reference uses for the thickening step an equipment with an inner concentric rotary member for the thickening step and the molding step and teaches that the cylindrical peripheral wall should be partially collapsed in an axial direction an then contacted externally with the cylindrical face of the roller in order to mold and thicken the wall. Also JP-A-56/59546 discloses a method which uses the same concentric rotary member for the thickening step and the step of molding the annular outer grooves. Nevertheless, it is actually desired to develop a more economical poly-V pulley of lighter weight without the drawbacks mentioned. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a sheet metal poly-V pulley of light weight not having unnecessary thickened portions but having a satisfactory strength on the thickened cylindrical peripheral wall, and which can be manufactured very economically by shortening the time for molding the V-shaped annular outer grooves. The present invention solving this problem is referred to in claims 1 and 2. The present invention will be further discussed, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a view illustrating a metal plate to be used for manufacturing a poly-V pulley in accordance with the present invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical section views of a cup-shape blank; Fig. 4 is a vertical section view of the cup-shape blank (semi-completed product) with the peripheral wall thereof thickened; Fig. 5 is a vertical section view of a poly-V pulley as a completed product; Figs. 6 and 7 are views illustrating the procedures of the wall thickening step; Figs. 8 and 9 are views illustrating the procedures of the V-shape groove forming step; Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of main portions in Fig. 8; Fig. 11 is a vertical section view, with portions broken away, of main portions of the poly-V pulley in accordance with the present invention illustrating the V-grooves thereof; and Fig. 12 is a vertical section view, with portions broken away, of main portions of another form of the poly-V pulley in accordance with the present invention. The description hereinafter will discuss in detail the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred Embodiment of Method Invention The manufacturing method in accordance with the present invention comprises the steps of forming a cup-shape blank by drawing a metal plate (hereinafter referred to as a preliminary forming step), thickening the cylindrical peripheral wall of the cup-shape blank (hereinafter referred to as a thickening step) and forming a plurality of V-shape annular grooves called poly-V grooves in the thickened peripheral wall of the cup-shape blank (hereinafter referred to as a V-shape groove forming step). (1) Preliminary forming step According to the preliminary forming step, a metal plate as shown in Fig. 1 is drawn to form a cup-shape blank 2 having a circular bottom 21 and a cylindrical peripheral wall 22 vertically extending from the periphery of the bottom 21 as shown in Fig. 2. Since the principle and procedures of such drawing process are well known, they should be easily understood by those skilled in the art. The opening edge 23 of the cup-shape blank 2 formed according to the preliminary forming step is cut as necessary to produce a well-shaped cup-shape blank 3 as shown in Fig. 3. (2) Thickening step The thickening step is performed according to the procedures shown in Figs. 6 and 7, so as to form a semicompleted pulley having a cylindrical peripheral wall 4a which is thickened as shown in Fig. 4. The description hereinafter will discuss a preferred embodiment of apparatus required for embodying the thickening step, before describing the procedures of this step. In Figs. 6 and 7, a pair of upper and lower rotary support members are generally designated by the reference numerals 7 and 8, respectively. The upper rotary support member 7 is vertically movable as necessary by suitable means (not shown). The cylindrical lower rotary support member 8 is provided in the upper inner peripheral edge with a fitting groove 81, into which the opening edge 34 of the cup-shape blank 3 is fitted such that the cup-shape blank 3 is properly set to the lower rotary support member 8. A rotary member 9 for maintaining constant the blank shape is housed in the inner space formed by the cylindrical peripheral wall 82 of the lower rotary support member 8, in a manner vertically movable therein by spring means (not shown). This rotary member 9 is rotatable integrally with the lower rotary support member 8 at the thickening step. Rotary roller devices 10 and 10′ for maintaining constant the shape of the blank are disposed on the left- and right-hands with respect to a pair of upper and lower rotary support members 7 and 8. These roller devices 10 and 10′ are movable in the directions A and B shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The roller devices 10 and 10′ have rotary rollers 11 and 11′, respectively, which are rotatably supported by roller support frames 14 and 14′ through roller shafts 12 and 12′, respectively. The right-hand rotary roller 11 is resiliently supported by a pressure spring 13 put on the roller shaft 12. The apparatus constructed as discussed hereinbefore will be operated to thicken the cylindrical peripheral wall 3a of the cup-shape blank 3. Namely, the cup-shape blank 3 is placed on the rotary member 9 such that the opening edge 34 is engaged with the fitting groove 81 in the lower rotary support member 8. With the upper rotary support member 7 lowered, the cup-shape blank 3 is securely held in the vertical direction by the upper rotary support member 7 and the rotary member 9 of the lower rotary support member 8. The roller devices 10 and 10′ are then moved toward the cylindrical peripheral wall 3a of the cup-shape blank 23 in the direction A. As shown in Fig. 6, the rotary roller 11 of the right-hand roller device 10 is contacted with the upper half of the cup-shape blank 3, while the rotary roller 11′ of the left-hand roller device 10′ is contacted with the lower half of the cup-shape blank 3. After the cup-shape blank 3 has been properly set, a pair of upper and lower rotary support members 7 and 8 are rotated at the same speed in the same direction, or synchronously. With such rotation of the rotary support members 7 and 8, the upper rotary support member 7 is slowly lowered, while a pair of roller devices 10 and 10′ pressingly holding the cylindrical peripheral wall 3a of the cup-shape blank 3 in the horizontal direction are moved away from the cylindrical peripheral wall 3a of the cup-shape blank 3. That is, while the upper rotary support member 7 is lowered, the rotary rollers 11 and 11′ of the roller device 10 and 10′ are slowly moved away from the cylindrical peripheral wall 3a of the cup-shape blank 3 in the direction B. At this step, it is important to move the roller devices 10 and 10′ away from the cylindrical peripheral wall 3a of the cup-shape blank 3 at a speed corresponding to the speed at which the cylindrical peripheral wall 3a is thickened by applying an axial compressive force to this cylindrical peripheral wall 3a with a pair of upper and lower rotary support members 7 and 8 operated. It is a matter of course that the optimum speed at which the roller devices 10 and 10′ are moved away from the cylindrical peripheral wall 3a, is determined dependent on the thickness and material of the cylindrical peripheral wall 3a of the cup-shape blank 3 to be thickened. When the cylindrical peripheral wall 3a of the cup-shape blank 3 is thickened according to the procedures above-mentioned, the cylindrical peripheral wall 3a which is deformed by an axial compressive force applied thereto, may be corrected by the rolling faces of the rotary rollers 11 and 11′ of the roller devices 10 and 10′ upon each rotation of the cup-shape blank 3. Thus, the cylindrical peripheral wall 3a of the cup-shape blank 3 may be thickened by a desired amount with the roundness of the cup-shape blank 3 properly maintained without any distortion of the cylindrical peripheral wall 3a. With the advance of the peripheral wall thickening step, the upper rotary support member 7 comes in contact with the rotary roller 11 of the roller device 10. Since the rotary roller 11 is resiliently held by the pressure spring 13, the rotary roller 11 is lowered as it is pressed by the upper rotary support member 7. Thus, the rotary roller 11 is lowered to the level identical with that of the rotary roller 11′ of the left-hand roller device 10′ as shown in Fig. 7 when the peripheral wall thickening step is completed. The rotary member 9 resiliently held by a pressure spring is downwardly moved as the cylindrical peripheral wall 3a of the cup-shape blank 3 is shortened in length (or thickened). Thus, the peripheral wall thickening step may be smoothly performed. (3) V-shape groove forming step After the cylindrical peripheral wall 3a of the cup-shape blank 3 has been thickened to have a desired thickness according to the thickening step, there is started the V-shape groove forming step, in which V-shape grooves are formed according to a so-called rolling process with the use of a V-shape groove forming roller. The description hereinafter will discuss the V-shape groove forming step. The thickened cup-shape blank 4 (shown as semi-completed product in Fig. 4) is placed on an inner groove forming rotary die 15 having an eccentric rotary axis c-c. Pressingly applied to the outer peripheral surface 4a of the cup-shape blank 4 is a V-shape groove forming roller 17 including a rolling face 17c having a plurality of parallel V-shape crests 17b divided by steep valleys 17a, the crests 17b extending in a circumferential direction of the roller 17. Then, the rolling face 15b of the inner groove forming rotary die 15 as rotated is contacted with the inner peripheral surface 4c of the thickened peripheral wall 4a of the cup-shape blank 4. At the same time, the rolling face 17c of the V-shape groove forming roller 17 as rotated is contacted with the outer peripheral surface 4a of the cup-shape blank 4. Thus, as shown in Fig. 11, there are simultaneously formed V-shape grooves 4b in the outer peripheral surface of the thickened cylindrical peripheral wall 4a of the cup-shape blank 4, and V-shape annular inner grooves 4e in the inner peripheral surface 4c. Namely, the V-shape groove forming step is performed with the rolling face 15b of the inner groove forming die 15 and the rolling face 17c of the V-shape groove forming roller 17 both as rotated, being simultaneously contacted with the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the thickened cylindrical peripheral wall 4a of the cup-shape blank 4, respectively. As shown in Fig. 10, the inner groove forming rotary die 15 is provided on the rolling face 15b with V-shape annular projections 15a extending in a circumferential direction of the die 15 at predetermined intervals. The interval of the projections 15a is determined according to the pitch of the V-shape crests 17b formed on the rolling face 17c of the V-shape groove forming roller 17. Namely, these projections 15a are formed at the positions corresponding to the steep valleys 17a dividing the V-shape crests 17b formed on the rolling face 17c of the V-shape groove forming roller 17. A contact rotary roller 20 is contacted with the left-hand peripheral surface of a lower rotary holding member 19 which supports the inner groove forming rotary die 15. The roller 20 is adapted to prevent an undesired side-movement of the holding member 19 when it is rotated. This roller 20 is preferably used when intending to further improve precision of the V-shape grooves. According to a series of the steps above-mentioned, there is produced a poly-V pulley as a completed product having the V-shape annular grooves 4b and the V-shape annular inner grooves 4e as shown in Fig. 5 and in more detail in Fig. 11. When a pair of upper and lower peripheral steps 4f and 4g as shown in Fig. 12 are formed, a poly-V belt (not shown) will be advantageously engaged with the V-shape annular grooves 4b in a secure manner. A poly-V pulley manufactured according to a series of the steps discussed hereinbefore generally has the V-shape grooves of high precision and can be made in an easier manner as compared with the conventional manufacturing methods mentioned at the beginning. In particular, the peripheral wall thickening step is remarkably simplified. The test result reveals that, according to the present invention, a poly-V pulley having a sufficient strength was produced by thickening the peripheral wall merely by about two-third of a conventionally thickened wall. While the manufacturing method according to the present invention seems to be fully understood from the description made hereinbefore, it is apparent that, according to the present invention, a light-weight poly-V pulley may be manufactured with reduced costs. Moreover, the present invention may provide following advantages which could not been conventionally expected: (1) Improvement in precision of V-shape annular grooves In commercializing a poly-V pulley of the type discussed hereinbefore, it is most requested to improve the V-shape annular grooves in precision. According to the present invention, the V-shape grooves are formed by the cooperative operation of the inner groove forming rotary die and the V-shape groove forming roller which are respectively applied to the inner and outer surfaces of the cylindrical peripheral wall of the cup-shape blank at the V-groove forming step. Thus, V-shape groove forming is facilitated, so that V-shape grooves are accordingly improved in precision. (2) Improvement in productivity According to the present invention, there is performed the step of thickening the cylindrical peripheral wall of a cup-shape blank, prior to the V-shape groove forming step. At this thickening step, it is sufficient to thicken the wall merely by about two-third of a conventionally thickened wall. Thus, the thickening step which normally requires much labor, is simplified, thereby to improve productivity. While the poly-V pulley in accordance with the present invention is manufactured according to the method discussed hereinbefore, the structural main portion or cylindrical peripheral wall of such poly-V pulley is as shown in Fig. 11 illustrating thevertical section, with portions broken away, of main portions of the wall. As shown in Fig. 11, the thickened cylindrical peripheral wall 4a has in the outer peripheral surface thereof annular V-shape grooves 4b divided by tapering partition walls 4d. These annular V-shape grooves 4b are adapted to engage with the crests of a poly-V belt (not shown). The V-shape inner grooves 4e are formed in the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 4a at the positions corresponding to the tops of the tapering partition walls 4d formed on the outer peripheral surface of the wall 4. Formation of such inner grooves 4e facilitates the V-shape groove forming step. The poly-V pulley in accordance with the present invention constructed as discussed hereinbefore presents such advantages as mentioned in connection with the manufacturing method of the present invention. In particular, the poly-V pulley of the present invention may be manufactured with remarkably reduced costs, because of its light weight structure and reduction in material cost resulted from the simplification of the cylindrical peripheral wall thickening step.

Claims: 1. A method of manufacturing a sheet metal poly-V pulley (4) comprising the steps of: a) forming a circular cup-shaped blank (3), b) thickening the cylindrical peripheral wall (3a) of the cup-shaped blank by rolling of the cylindrical peripheral wall and pressingly holding during the thickening step said cylindrical peripheral wall (3a) of said cup-shaped blank (3) by a rotary member (9) disposed concentric with respect to the main axis of said cylindrical peripheral wall and by rotary roller devices (10, 10′) disposed on the outer peripheral surface of said wall for maintaining uniform the profile of said peripheral wall and for defining annular flanges thereby formed at either end of and projecting radially beyond the thickened portion, while said rotary roller devices are slowly moved away from said cylindrical peripheral wall when rotary support members (7, 8) are rotated in synchronism and axially moved to compress said cup-shaped blank, c) forming a plurality of parallel V-shaped annular outer grooves (4b) in the thickened cylindrical peripheral wall, using a V-shape groove-forming roller (17) having a rolling face (17c) with a plurality of parallel V-shaped crests (17b) divided by steep valleys (17a), such that the outer grooves (4b) are divided by tapering partition walls (4d) extending in a circumferential direction, characterized by d) forming said V-shaped annular outer grooves (4b) while simultaneously applying an inner groove forming rotary die (15) to said inner peripheral surface (4c) of said thickened cylindrical peripheral wall thus forming V-shape annular inner grooves (4e), with the main axis of said inner rotary die (15) being eccentric with respect to the main axis of said thickened cylindrical peripheral wall, e) said V-shape annular inner grooves (4e) being smaller than said plurality of parallel V-shape annular outer grooves (4b) and located at the positions corresponding to the tops of said partition walls (4d) dividing said V-shape grooves in said outer peripheral surface of said cylindrical peripheral wall, f) and said inner rotary die (15) having annular V-shape projections (15a) at the positions corresponding to said valleys (17a) of said V-shape outer groove forming roller (17). 2. A poly-V pulley (4) formed from a sheet metal cup-shaped blank (3), comprising: a) a wall of continuous material, with inner and outer peripheral surfaces, a portion of the wall (3a) being thicker than remaining sheet metal material from the blank, the thicker portion having a plurality of parallel V-shaped annular grooves (4b) in the outer peripheral surface, alternating with parallel annular partition walls (4d), the alternating annular grooves and partition walls being adapted for receiving poly-V belts, the inner peripheral surface (4c) of the thickened portion having a plurality of annular grooves (4e) arranged parallel to one another, b) said inner annular grooves (4e) having a V-shaped cross-section of depth less than that of the outer annular grooves (4b) and being aligned between the grooves (4b) of the outer peripheral surface, with said inner peripheral surface (4c) being cylindrial between said V-shaped annular grooves (4e), c) and annular flanges at opposite ends of the thicker portion projecting radially beyond the partition walls, said annular flanges comprising peripheral steps (4f, 4g) for secure engagement in use between the pulley and a pulley-V belt.

Inventors: KANEMITSU, YUKIO
Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KANEMITSU
Application year: 1982
Main classification: B21D53
IPC codes: B21D53, B21H1, F16H55