Patent GB-800686-A (GB)
Title: A rotary automatic machine for producing wood screws and the like
Inventor: ARNOLD CARL
IPC: B23G1/10
Filed: 1956-09-07
Abstract: 800,686. Lathes. ARNOLD, C. Sept. 7, 1956, No. 27403/56. Class 83 (3). An automatic machine has a rotatable workpiece carrier with work-holders at equal angular distances apart, and a tool-carrier with similarly-spaced tool-holders. The work-carrier rotates continuously and the tool-carrier moves with the work-carrier an angular distance equal to the spacing of the work-holders and then returns to its initial position for operating on the succeeding work-pieces. For making woodscrews, the work-carrier 5 is rotated in a base 1 about a vertical-axis by an internal-gear 8 driven by gearing 9, 12, a shaft 10, and further gearing, from a pulley 4. The carrier 5 has two sets of work-holders, those 13, Figs. 1 and 3, being above and spaced between those 14, the workpieces being transferred from 13 to 14 after completing a circuit in holders 13. Holders 14 consist of chucks which are rotated continuously by bevel-pinions 15, all engaging a gear-ring 16 driven by gearing 19 &c. from pulley 4. The tool-carrier 6 is oscillated about the axis of carrier 5 by a cam 24, Figs. 1 and 5, on shaft 10, engaging a lug 25 on carrier 6, and acting against spring 28. In operation, work-blanks are fed by a flexible hose 49, Fig. 1, and held in a slot 51 until gripped by a claw 52 on lever 53 turnable by a spring 56 and positioned by a pin 57, Fig. 8. During forward movement of carrier 6, the blank is transferred by lever 53 to a mouth 61 in work-holder 13, Fig. 7, rotatable by a knurled-roller 69 on a shaft 68, Fig, 13. A pulley 70, on shaft 68, has a steelwire 71 fixed to and wound round its circumference, the other end of the wire being fixed to the machine frame so that the pulley is rotated by movement of carrier 6. Reversal of pulley 70 is by a spring 73. The reaction of roller 69 is balanced by a spring-loaded roller 74. A tool 79, mounted on a pivotable and axially-movable shaft 82, Figs. 14 and 15, and guided by a lever 86 contacting a rail 87, turns the blank-head. The operation B being completed, Fig. 2, the blank moves to operation C. Here a saw-cut is made by a circular-saw 35, adjustable by box 30, and continuously driven through Cardan-joints and shaft 38, 40, 39, and gearing &c. from a main shaft 3. The blank is additionally held during nicking by a spring-loaded member 94, with an extension 96, mounted on a movable slide 88 urged by a spring 90 against a guide-rail 89. The next operation, D, Fig. 2, is identical with operation B, after which the blank is transferred, via a shoot 98, to a lower plane, Fig. 10. A transfer-grip 99 on a pivoted shaft 100, guided by a rail 104, is thrust on to the blank held by holder 13. Reversal of carrier 6 pivots the grip 99 and the workpiece is lifted clear of holder 13 and placed in the shoot 98. The blank descends until arrested by a movable slide 107. Reversal of the blank at F, Fig. 2, is effected by a grip 110, Fig. 10, movably suspended on a pin 111 in a carrier 112 on carrier 6. A funnel 113 connects carrier 112 with a slot 114 passing through the pin and the grip 110, and as the slide 107 opens against a spring 109, the blank enters the grip 110. Forward movement of carrier 6 thrusts the grip 110 inwards, rail 118 acting as a guide, and the blank enters the jaws 123 of holder 14. The jaws, movable about a ball 143, are closed by a spring-urged cone 124. Reversal of the carrier 6 releases the blank from the grip, which returns under the action of a spring 120, Fig. 10. An adjusting- screw 122 centres the grip and work-holder. The blank is held in holder 14 and screwed at positions G1 to G5, Fig. 2, by a succession of tools 136, mounted on pivoted and axiallymovable supports 130. The tools and toolholders 137 are made arcuate to take up minimum space, and are fed axially along the blanks by fixed tails 127, and are returned by a spring 140, Fig. 17. During the feed, each support 130 is rocked about its axis by a pin 134 to curved slot 135, to point the screw-thread. Upon completion, the work-piece is released from the chuck by the cone 124 and the cam 126, Fig. 4. A periodically-activated locking-mechanism between the work-carrier and tool-carrier could replace the cam 24.