Patent GB-948181-A (GB)
Title: Machine tool
IPC: B23Q7/00
Filed: 1960-05-30
Abstract: 948,181. Copy-turning; boring; machine-tool details. KEARNEY & TRECKER CORPORATION. May 30, 1960 [June 1, 1959], No. 19001/60. Headings B3B, B3C, B3N and B3T. [Also in Division B8] A machine-tool organization for operating on rail car wheels &c. comprises means for moving each wheel along a transfer line while supporting the wheels in an upright position for rolling movement, and a plurality of machining stations along the line. The organization includes machining stations 23, 27, 31, 36, 43; transfer mechanisms 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 ; idle stations 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 35, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45, 47; move-out stations 25, 29, 33, 39, which can be used to by-pass a station; an inspection station 46; a loading station 21 ; a receiving station 48 ; and storage stations 20, 49. The wheels run on a rail 65 and are guided by overhead rails, which are carried by spaced columns, and a lower guide rail. Station 23 consists of a chuck head 70 to receive a wheel w and a boring tool 72 on a slide 73 for rough boring the hub. Station 27 consists of a head 81 having an axiallymovable spindle to clamp and rotate a wheel and facing-tool holders 84, 85 on a slide 86 movable on a second slide 88. A similar station 31, but reversed to face the opposite sides of a wheel, has tool-holders 84a, 85a. Stations 36 and 43 are identical and each have a chucking head 95, 95a identical to heads 81, 81a to pick up, clamp and rotate a wheel. Tools on compound slides 98, 101 turn the treads of the wheels and tools 752, 753 on compound slides 108, 110 profile the wheel flange. Screwing-up.-The slides are moved by fluid pressure means and the tool-slide, e.g. 98a, Fig. 20, is clamped by nuts rotated by levers 724, 725 connected to fluid-pressure means 726. Since the turning operations are slower than the others, the wheels are moved into these stations in double length steps to enable a dwell of twice the time compared with the other stations. For instance, at one time in a cycle, both stations 45 and 46 are empty. The transfer mechanism 54 comprises a fluidpressure unit 136 having a rod 184 connected to a cross-head 119 running on rails 116, 117. The cross-head carries a transverse cylinder- and-piston unit to cause angular movement of a transfer rod 127 which passes through the crosshead and carries arms 138a to 138f bearing wheel-engaging rollers. The degree of angular movement is controlled by adjustable stops which cause the rollers to engage a series of workpieces or to be moved clear. When engaged, the rollers move the wheels rightwardly upon actuation of the fluid-pressure unit 136. Stopping and reversal of the unit 136 are controlled by dogs and switches on the frame and on the moving members, the switch 151, which stops rightward movement, also causing angular movement of the rod 127 and chucking of the workpiece at station 43. The transfer mechanism 53 acts as a unit with the mechanism 54. Since the transfer mechanism 52 operates to advance wheels one step and the adjacent mechanism 53 advances wheels two steps, the rod 156 of the mechanism 52 which carries the wheel engaging rollers 158 has only one roller to engage the right-hand wheel. That wheel is prevented from rolling-on at the next station by a solenoid-actuated stop 169. At the storage station 20, wheels are loaded into a rack 160 by a power lift truck or otherwise, whence they are moved simultaneously on to an indexable trolley 172 by a rod 176 mounted on arms 173, 174 which are moved angularly by fluid-pressure pistons to effect the transfer. A gate member on the machine frame can be operated to release the front wheel on the trolley. When a wheel has been released, the trolley is advanced by fluid-pressure means to position the next wheel for release in a position determined by a dog on the trolley. When empty, the trolley is returned and automatically refilled. A similar arrangement of indexable trolley 275 and rack 351 is provided at the storage stations 48, 49, the rack in this instance being filled from the trolley. At each move-out station, such as at station 25, a portion of the rail 65 is mounted on a rotatable table 391 carrying peripheral support rollers on a horizontal slide 386 movable away from the line. When the slide is moved by operation of a valve by a manual lever, a slotted drag-link 434 attached to the table co-operates with a fixed pin to cause a 90 degree rotation of the table. As the slide reaches the end of its movement, an inclined plate thereon engages a valve to slow the slide movement. The wheel can then be rolled clear and the table returned. The work-heads 81, 81a, 95, 95a of the machining stations 27, 31, 36, 43 are similar. Chucks.-In particular, the head 95a, Fig. 17, has a sleeve 561 which can be advanced within a spindle 558 by fluid pressure means 580 to position jaws 571 on a nose portion 570, within the hub of a wheel w. To clamp the wheel, a rod 586 is moved rightwardly by fluid pressure means 591 to actuate wedges co-operating with the jaws 571. The sleeve 561 is then retracted to pull the wheel against serrated driving pads 605 on the spindle 558, the upper and lower adjacent sections of the guide rails being swung upwardly and downwardly respectively to allow passage of the wheel. The work is locked against the pads by a wedge 610 actuated by fluid pressure means 628 and rack pistons 618, 608. The wedge 610 co-operates with a wedge 612 on the sleeve 561 and is released by an impact blow through a piston 636. Similarly, to release the jaws, a piston 601 advances with some lost-motion before striking the rod 586 to free the wedges. Fluid-pressure for the means 580, 591 and 628 is supplied through a rotary valve 743. The spindle 558 is rotated by a motor 640 driving through a chain belt 641, a clutch 645 controlled by a fluid pressureoperated yoke 674, change-gearing 656 and a gear 660 on the spindle. The spindle is stopped by a brake band pulled against a surface 686 on the spindle by a fluid-pressure means, the stopping of the spindle being indicated by a zero speed switch 1325. Copy-turning.-The tools at the stations 35, 42 perform a copying motion. Thus, at the station 42, the slides 108a, 110a, Fig. 22, are moved by screws rotated by fluid motors 757, 761, controlled by valves 750, 780, co-operating with templates 769, 775. The valve 780 is moved on rods 781, 782 by a linkage mechanism 791 as the slide 108a is traversed to compensate for a reduced curvature on the cam 775 which is shaped to assist the valve in following the steeper portions. A dog 817 on the slide 108a serves to introduce a fast traverse of the slide 110 during the period when cutting is transferred from the tool 752 to the tool 753. At the inspection station 46, a wheel runs on to conical rollers 846, 847, Fig. 25, and can be clamped to a bracket 836 by a clamp 856 operated by a fluid-pressure device 859 controlled by a hand lever 875. The bracket 836 can then be lowered about a pivot 842 by a fluid-pressure device 868 controlled by a hand lever 872. After being inspected in the horizontal position, the levers are operated to return the wheel to the line, the lever for raising the wheel being inoperative until the clamping lever has been operated.  Specification 884,519 is referred to.