Patent GB-314487-A (GB)
Title: Automatic stereotype plate casting machine
IPC: B41D3/00
Filed: 1929-05-13
Abstract: 314,487. Wood Newspaper Machinery Corporation, (Assignees of Wood, H. A. W.). June 28, 1928, [Convention date]. Stereotype, casting and trimming.-In a stereotype casting- machine of the type comprising an upright cylinder and back forming the mould, constantly operating means, adapted to afford periods of rest and displacement to the parts, effect and control the movements of the mould back, the metal-pouring operation, and the rotation of the cylinder. The movements of the back and the metal pouring operation are effected by constantly-rotating cam devices. The machine, which is also provided with platetrimming mechanism and mechanism for counting the number of plates cast, is electrically controlled. Core-operating mechanism. The core 20, Fig. 10, is rotatably mounted on a column 19 and is adapted to be cooled by water issuing directly on to the inner walls from comparatively large openings near the top of the core instead of being sprayed through a number of small apertures. The upper end of the core is provided with a collar 27 having a non-circular aperture adapted to be engaged by a complementary projection on a gear-wheel 18. The non- circular portions may be disengaged, to prevent rotation of the core or to permit it to be rotated by hand, by means of a handle 21, a spring 25 serving to restore the parts. The gear-wheel 18 is rotated by a wheel 13 forming part of a Geneva mechanism and actuated by a pin 16, Fig. 5, on a continuously-rotating pinion 9. The slots 14 in the wheel 13 are arranged so as to be tangential to the pinion 9 when engaged by the pin 16 so that starting and stopping of the rotation of the core is accomplished without shocks. The shaft 10 carrying the pinion 9 is vertically slidable in its bearings and is raised by connections 38, 39, 40, 43, 44 from a cam 35 on a shaft 34, Fig. 10, driven by worm gearing 30, 31, Figs. 5 and 16, from the main shaft 3. The gearing is counterbalanced by a weight 42. The timing and gear ratios are such that the shaft 10 is raised to remove the pin 16 from the position in which it engages the wheel 13 every alternate revolution, and each quarter-turn of the wheel 13 results in half a revolution of the core to bring a cast plate to delivery position. Back-operating mechanism. The back 71, Figs. 2 and 14, which is cooled by water passing through pipes 56, is carried by rollers 72 on a track 73 and is connected by a pair of links 70, 63 to a sleeve 61, Figs. 14 and 16, freely mounted on the shaft 34. The pivot pins 64 between the links 63, 70 are provided with an eccentric portion to enable the position of the back to be adjusted. The sleeve 61 is oscillated to reciprocate the back by means of engaging segments 60, 58, the segment 58 being pivoted on a stud 59 in the framework 1 and actuated by a cam 32 on the shaft 34. Metal-pouring mechanism. A cam 33 attached to the cam 32 acts to move a lever 124, Fig. 2, connected by a link 125 to a lever 127 on a shaft 129, the connection between the link 125 and lever 127 being adjustable to enable the throw of the lever to be varied. The lever 127 is connected by a shear pin 130 to the shaft which carries an arm 132 for actuating a piston 134 in the melting-pot 137, Fig. 36. The metal is delivered through a spout 138 in which is a valve 140 actuated through connections 145, 144, 143, Fig. 38, from a knob 142 so that delivery of the metal can be prevented when desired. The cam 33 is adjustable on the cam 32, and the shaft 129 is provided with a hub formed with apertures for the insertion of a lever to enable the pump to be operated by hand. The rod 145 is connected to the lever 54 of the valve 53 controlling the supply of water to the core and back. Trimming-mechanism. The saws 110, 111, Fig. 29, for removing the head and trimming the bottom of the cast plate are carried by a shaft 109 rapidly and continuously rotated and carried in a hanger 105 pivoted on a shaft 106. The hanger is engaged by an arm on a yoke 100, reciprocated by a cam 97 on a shaft 95, Figs. 14 and 30. The cam is coupled to an arm 96 integral with a segment 94 on the shaft 95 and actuated by the segment 58 so that the trimming mechanism is brought into operating-position as the back is withdrawn. The arm 96 and cam 97 are coupled by means of a spring-pressed pin 112 passing through aligned apertures in the arm and cam and in a plate 116, the plate being under the influence of a spring 121 which acts to prevent the alignment of the apertures after the pin has been withdrawn except at the end of the stroke of the arm 96 when the plate is returned by a cam 120. In an alternate construction, the cam carries a pivoted spring-pressed plate engageable with a slot in the end of the arm 96. Disconnection of the arm 96 and cam 97 enables the saws to be swung by hand for the removal of the saws, or permits a plate to be delivered with its tail unremoved. Counting-mechanism. The shaft 10 is provided with a cam 152. Fig. 38, which actuates, at every alternate revolution of the shaft, a bellcrank lever 154 carrying a pawl 156 adapted to engage a ratchet-wheel 157 and turn it through the distance of one tooth at each operation. The ratchet is secured to a gear-wheel 158, Fig. 40, of a differential gear comprising pinions 159 and a. second gear-wheel 158a. The pinions 159 are mounted on shafts 160 carried by a dome 162. The gear-wheel 158a is keyed to a hollow shaft 165 surrounding a stud 163. Rotation of the ratchet-wheel 157, therefore, results in the rotation of the dome 162 and the display of successive numerals carried hereby through an opening 167. In order to prevent actuation of the counter when the valve 140 is open and no metal is delivered to the mould, a lever 170, Fig. 38, carrying a cam 171 is connected to the link 144 and, on pushing in the knob 142, the cam engages the end of the pawl 156 and moves it out of operative position. In case a defective plate is cast, a knob 175 is pressed to cause a pawl 177 to rotate a ratchet-wheel 179 one tooth. The ratchetwheel is connected to the shaft 165 carrying the gear-wheel 158a, and actuation causes the dome to be rotated backward one division. This actuation can be effected at any time since the two ratchet-wheels are connected to different gearwheels of the differential. Driving-mechanism. The machine is driven by an electric motor 2, Fig. 2, through a sprocket wheel or pulley 4 connected by a shear pin to the main shaft 3. The motor is controlled by three switches, 80, 81, 82. The switch 82 stops the motor at any time; the switch 81 starts it from any position; and the switch 80 is connected in parallel with a limit switch actuated automatically, each time the back is withdrawn, by a cam 75, Fig 16, on the sleeve 61. When it is desired to stop the machine, the switch 80 is operated, and, when the cycle of operations is completed, the cam 75 opens the limit switch and stops the motor. One of the matrix clips 84, Fig. 22, on the back 71 carries a cam 85 formed with an aperture 87. When the matrix is properly clamped the aperture 87 passes over a roller 88 on a switch 90; when the back moves to closed position if the matrix is not properly held, the cam 85 engages the roller 88, actuates the switch 90, and breaks the circuit. The switches 80, 81, 82 and the actuating-knobs 142, 175 are arranged adjacent each other.