Patent GB-1377813-A (GB)
Title: Centrifugal barrel finishing apparatus and method
IPC: B24B31/02
Filed: 1972-03-13
Abstract: 1377813 Tumbling SHIKISHIMA TIPTON MFG CO Ltd 13 March 1972 [12 March 1971] 11544/72 Heading B3D A method of finishing workpieces comprises finishing the workpieces in a machine having barrels 4 between a pair of turrets 7, 8, each barrel being rotated about its axis and the axis of the turrets, automatically opening a lid on a barrel after a finishing operation, rotating the barrel to discharge its contents with the turrets fixed, rotating the barrel to a position with its opening uppermost, charging the barrel, automatically closing the lid, repeating the action for each barrel, and rotating the barrels and turrets for finishing the workpieces, all the operations being automatically controlled. The barrels 4 are mounted on shafts 4a extending between the turrets 7, 8 which, in turn, are mounted on a shaft 40 in bearings 41 in a frame 43. Each shaft 4a has a wheel 24 connected by a belt or chain 75 to a respective wheel 23 on a sleeve 11 on the shaft 40. The periphery of turret 8 is formed with grooves for a belt or the like 74 connected to a pulley 73 of a main motor 1. The turrets can be held against rotation during loading and unloading of the barrels by engagement of a roller 30 with notches in the periphery of the turret 7, the roller being movable between operative and inoperative positions by a fluid motor 31. A brake drum 2 is mounted on sleeve 11 and is engageable by a shoe 5 of a fluid motor 3. The turrets can be inched into positions for engagement of the roller 30 with the notches by reciprocation of the rod of a fluid motor 10, the rod being formed with a rack engaging a pinion 15 connected by a one-way clutch 14 to a pulley having a belt 78 engaging a pulley 9 on shaft 40. Each barrel has a lid 44 provided with packings to prevent leakage from the barrel and an automatically operated device is provided for opening and closing the lid when a barrel is in its loading and unloading position. The device consists of a frame 32 which is movable about a pivot 34 between a position, shown dotted in Fig. 4, out of the way of the rotating barrels, and a position, shown solid, above the lid. The frame carries a fluid motor 35 for raising and lowering the lid opening and closing apparatus 37 having a pair of fluid motors 38, 39. Motor 38 is connected by a rod 51, Fig. 10, to a lever 52, 85 which, when rocked about a pivot 86, grips or releases a rod 60 on the lid. Motor 39 operates the mechanism for fastening the lid to the barrel. Each lid has two pairs of supports 45, Fig. 7, each support having a pin 46 engaging a slot in a lever 50, 50a. The ends of the levers engage further levers 48, which are mounted on links 47 and have ends engaging under a lip of the barrel to hold the lid thereon. The other ends of the levers 50, 50a are mounted on the shaft 60 having a slider 67 formed with an extension 68 urged by a spring 66 into a bore in a flange 69. The slider 67 is engageable by the forked end of a slider 56 movable along an arm 58 by a bell-crank lever 55 movable by the motor 39. The machine is automatically controlled under the action of a sequence controller and limit switches so that at the end of a finishing operation, the shoe 5 is applied to the brake 2 to stop rotation of the sleeve 11. The brake is then released and motor 10 actuated to inch the turret and barrels until the roller 30 engages a notch in the turret 7. A shoot 70 is then advanced to a position to receive discharged workpiece and direct them to a vibratory conveyer 71, and the mechanism for gripping and releasing the lid is moved to its operative position to grip the lid of the uppermost barrel, release its fastening and lift it from the barrel. Thereafter, a motor 19 is actuated to rotate the barrels, without rotating the turrets, through 180 degrees to deposit the contents of the opened barrel into the shoot 20. The barrels are then rotated in the reverse direction for charging the opened barrel from a conveyer 99 and hopper 98 after which the lid is replaced and fastened and the motor 31 actuated to move the lid opening device to its out-of-way position. This procedure is repeated for emptying and charging each of the barrels and when all the barrels are filled, the barrels and turrets are rotated for a finishing operation.