Patent GB-980668-A (GB)
Title: Method and apparatus for making sleeve bearings
IPC: B21K1/04
Filed: 1963-07-18
Abstract: 980,668. Making bearings; bending; forging; stamping; shearing. FEDERAL-MOGULBOWER BEARINGS Inc. July 18, 1963 [July 20, 1962], No. 28421/63. Headings B3A, B3E, B3H, B3Q and B3W. An apparatus for making semi-circular sleeve bearing blanks comprises tools for performing the steps of transversely grooving at intervals a strip of material, shearing the strip along the grooves to form free blanks and for forming the free blanks into semi-circular sleeve bearing blanks. The strip 24 is a bi-metallic material such as steel-backed Babbit, aluminium, copper &c., and the tools are mounted in a follow on die set 15 which performs an operation at each of seven stages at each stroke of the press. Stage 1.-The strip 24 passes over the flat surface 27 of a block 28 in which is mounted a stamping die 32. The upper die 34 is flat and presses the strip against the die 32 to produce an identification mark. Stage 2.-Grooves 50 and 51 are formed across the strip by tools 42 and 48 formed on dies 40 and 46 respectively. The surfaces 52 and 54 adjacent the grooving tools are tapered to assist the metal displaced from the grooves to flow over a greater portion of the surface of the adjacent blanks. The grooves form chamfers on the inside and outside diameters of the half-bearing. The strip is guided through stages 1 and 2 by guide blocks 56 which contact the edges of the strip and which have flanges which slightly overlap the strip to provide vertical restraint. Stage 3.-The strip moves on to a flat surface 68 and is located by a pair of stops 62 the inner ends of which are spaced a distance less than the desired width of the strip. The edges of the strip are trimmed by a pair of spaced cutters 66 which co-operate with the edges of the surface 68. A pair of blocks 70 having inclined surfaces 72 direct the waste away from the path of the cutters. Mounted between the cutters is a spring-loaded pressure pad 74. A circular punch 78 is mounted in the block 64 which forms part of the upper die set, and this punch pierces an oil- or dowelhole through the strip. Stage 4.-The blank forming the leading end of the strip is sheared-off by cutters 92 and 96 which correspond in shape to one half of the grooves formed across the strip. The cut blank is moved downwards by the cutter member 94 and passes between the spring- loaded guides 100 which are moved apart by the cutter member 94 engaging inclined surfaces on the guides 100. Spring ejector pins 109 detach the blank from the cutter member 94 and as the member 94 withdraws the guides 100 move inwards and the blank is held by overlapping portions of the guides on to the surfaces 111 of blocks 106. Stage 5.-The blank is moved over a cavity 136 and is pressed into the cavity by a spring- loaded die member 134. It is positioned centrally over the cavity by an adjustable stop 128 and a spring-loaded member 129. Stage 6.-The height and diameter of the blank are coined in a semi-circular female die co-operating with a male semi-circular die which also has shoulders which engage the edges of the formed bearing shell. Stage 7.-A lip is formed on one edge of the shell by an inclined punch co-operating with a recess in one side of a semi-circular female die in to which the shell is moved for the final stage. Feed mechanisms.-An intermittent feed mechanism 22 advances the strip 24 after each stroke of the press so that the shoulders formed at stage 3 are moved up to the stops 62. The blank cut-off at stage 4, and the partly formed shells of stages 5 and 6 are moved forward by a reciprocating pusher 112 actuated by a rod 116 connected to a mechanism 122. As the upper die assembly rises a device 176 co-operated with a member 178 to actuate the mechanisms 22 and 122.