Patent GB-1066636-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to work locating devices
Inventor: WHITTLE JAMES
IPC: B21D28/22
Filed: 1964-02-05
Abstract: 1,066,636. Punching. G.K.N. GROUP SERVICES Ltd. Feb. 1, 1965 [Feb. 5, 1964 (2)], Nos. 4805/64 and 4806/64. Heading B3W. [Also in Divisions B6, F2 and H2] A press for notching the edges of armature blanks 42 which have been formed with a central hole and keyway includes a rotary work carrier 33, a hopper 40 in which the blanks 42 are stacked on edge and having screw means 45 for advancing the blanks intermittently, magnetic means 87 for removing the leading blank from the hopper, and means associated with the carrier 33 to rotate the carrier, while holding the blank stationary, to enable a key on the carrier to engage with the keyway in the blank. Hopper construction and operation.-The hopper 40 has an inclined base 41 and a feed plate 44 which is advanced by a screw 45 which runs in a split-nut 46 readily releasable from the screw by a handle 47. Secured to the end of the screw is a disc 49 which is notched at its edges to engage two parallel rods 50 which project from a disc 51. The disc is rotated through chain gearing by a motor M1, which is controlled by a micro-switch (M54), Fig. 3 (not shown). When the leading blank 42a is removed, the micro-switch starts the motor M1 to advance the next blank to the edge of the hopper. Removing leading blank from hopper.-A sequence motor (M2), Fig. 4 (not shown), drives through a gear-box 59, a shaft 65, which incorporates an overload device 68. Mounted on the shaft are three chain sprockets 69, 70 and 71. The sprocket 71 drives, through gearing, a shaft 82 which carries three cams for operating three micro-switches MS6, MS7 and MS8, and also drives a horizontal shaft 85. Mounted on the shaft 85 is a bar of non- magnetic material 87 which has a magnetic insert, and the shaft also carries two cams (89 and 90) which operate pneumatic valves (91 and 92). When the shaft 85 rotates the magnetic insert draws the leading blank 42a out of the hopper and it falls on to a shoot comprising two plates 100 and 101, slides down these plates and is arrested by a rubber curtain 104. A pneumatic cylinder 105 controlled by the valves 91 and 92 then operates and a nosepiece 107 pushes the blank forward on to the rotatable work carrier 33. Orientating blank relative to carrier, Fig. 7.- The carrier 33 comprises a collar 117 which is secured to a spindle 32 and which has a recess 118 to receive a coupling member 119. In the coupling member is a diametral slot 120, closed at one end and open at the other, which contains a spring-loaded bolt 121. A cam follower roller 124 is mounted in the end of the bolt and there is a radial slot (128), Fig. 8 (not shown), in collar 117 into which the bolt moves when the two parts are correctly aligned. A spur wheel 130 is locked to a spigot 129 on the member 119 and also to a spigot 134 on the underside of the blank support. The support comprises a flange 136 and an upstanding portion 137 which has a taper 138 and a key (139), Fig. 8 (not shown). Above the support is a bell 141 which has a ring of friction material 142 around its lower edge and is mounted on a non-rotatable reciprocable spindle. The bell itself is rotatably mounted on the spindle by a one-way clutch 143 which permits rotation in one direction only, and is biased upwardly by a spring 153. The bell is pressed down by a lever 160 which is pivoted at 158 and is operated by a push-rod 165 resting on a cam 166 which is chain driven from the sprocket 69. The spur gear 130 is driven by a toothed quadrant 176 which in turn is chain driven from the sprocket 70. Also formed on the quadrant is a cam rail 177 which engages the roller 124 and pushes back the bolt 121 to unlock the coupling member 119 from the collar 117. Operation.-A blank 42b pushed forward by the cylinder 105 rests on the taper 138, as shown in Fig. 7, and the bell 141 is then lowered by the cam 166 so that the friction surface 142 rests on the blank and restrains it from rotating. The cam rail 177 then pushes back the bolt and the quadrant teeth rotate the support through 360 degrees, during which rotation the key must engage with the keyway of the blank. When this occurs the blank moves down on to flange 136. At the end of the 360 degrees rotation of the support the rail 177 has moved clear of the roller 124 and the bolt re-engages with the slot in the collar 117. The cam 166 has continued to rotate and a higher portion of the cam surface has moved under the push-rod 165, so that the bell 141 holds the blank firmly on to flange 136 for the notching operation. During the notching operation the blank is rotated intermittently to bring successive portions of the periphery between the tools of a crank-operated press. This intermittent rotation is in the opposite direction to that produced by the quadrant 176 and the clutch 143 allows free rotation of the bell 141. Overload device. Fig. 6 (not shown).-The shaft 65 is divided into a lower part (65a) and an upper part (65b). The lower end passes half-way through the bore of a collar, and a radial pin (192) projecting from the shaft enters a slot (191) in the collar, so that the shaft and collar rotate together but the collar can move axially of the shaft. A spring (189) lifts the collar, which on its upper surface has a diametral V-shaped groove (183). The upper part of the shaft has a cross-pin 184 which projects on both sides and normally seats in the groove. If an overload occurs the pin rides up the sides of the groove, pushes the collar down and operates a micro-switch which de-energizes a relay and stops the blank feed motor M1. Opening of the contacts of this relay, deenergizes two further relays which stop the main press motor and the motor M2 driving the indexing work carrier. Removing finished work.-At the end of the notching operation the finished armature lamination is removed by means of a gripper mechanism, Figs. 9 and 10 (not shown). The gripper (198) comprises a fixed jaw (205) and a pivoted jaw (206) mounted on an arm (207). The arm (207) is rotated about a pivot (208) by a lever (210) operated by a fluid cylinder (212). The complete gripper is mounted on a lever (195) which is pivoted at (196) and rotated about the pivot by a pneumatic cylinder (200) between a position in which the jaws will grip a lamination on the work carrier 33 and a position in which the central hole of the lamination is aligned with a post (221). The height of the fixed jaw 205 is such that as the jaws close the lamination is lifted off the carrier 33. The post (221) is one of two similar posts (221) and (222) mounted on a rotatable T-shaped member (220). When the post (221) is full of laminations the member (220) is rotated to bring the post (222) into position to receive laminations. Automatic operation.-The apparatus can be switched to an automatic condition in which the cycle repeats so long as there are blanks in the hopper, or to a single-cycle condition which is initiated by a treadle.