Patent GB-673179-A (GB)
Title: Wheel assembling machine
IPC: B21D53/26
Filed: 1950-01-12
Abstract: 673.179. Making wheels. KELSEY-HAYES WHEEL CO. Jan. 12, 1950 [Oct. 17,1949], No. 844/60. Classes 83 (ii) and 83 (iv). [Also in Group XXXIV] A machine for assembling a rim and a wheelbody spider comprises guides 2 engageable with the rim, a feeding carriage 8 reciprocable parallel with the guides 2 and having means 10 ... 12 to position the rim, and a wheel body loosely assembled thereon, with respect to each other and the guides, and means 22, 26 extending transversely of and movable relatively to the guides for engaging the rim and wheel body to move them axially out of engagement with said positioning means 10 ... 12 and to effect relative movement of the rim over the wheel body to form the final assembly. As shown, the guides 2 are horizontal and spaced above the feeding carriage 8, the positioning means 10 ... 12 of which comprise upwardly extending pins arranged to project respectively into the valve hole of the rim and on opposite sides of a wheel body spoke. The carriage 8 has a surface 9 (Fig. 4), arranged to abut the lower or outboard flange of the rim, and reciprocal movement of the carriage is effected by the piston 15 of a double-acting air cylinder 16. The outward limit of the stroke of the piston 15 is such as to place the loose assembly above a vertically reciprocable rim-carrying plate 22 which is actuated by the piston 21 of a vertical doubleacting cylinder 20. The plate 22, which has diametrically-opposed depending guide-rods 23 sliding in bushings in a fixed bottom frame plate 17, carries angularly-spaced arcuate blocks 24 which centre and support the rim and are positioned to clear the guides 2 and carriage 8 during the raising of the plate 22. A spider-carrying plate 26 is resiliently mounted via springs 27 on the plate 22 and has a central pilot member 29 arranged to project into the central bore of the spider, angularly spaced abutments 30 (Fig. 7), for engaging the spider bolting-on portion radially outwardly of the bolt-holes, and a positioning-pin 31 to project through one of the bolt-holes. Near the limit of the upward stroke of the piston 21, the wheel spider abuts a fixed ring member 32 which is secured to a spacer body 33 depending via a body 34 from a top frame plate 36. The body 34 has angularlyspaced radial arms 35 (Fig. 8) carrying rim abutment blocks 38 which are fixed a predetermined distance above the ring 32 so that continued upward movement of the piston 21 carries the rim over the spider until the peripheral flanges of the spokes of the latter abut the well base of the rim. The spacer body 33 carries a depending tube 37 arranged to enter and position the pilot member 29 and pass through a bushing in the rim plate 22. Punching.-With the rim and wheel body firmly clamped in finally assembled relation, the rim base, and spider body flanges are pierced to provide rivet holes by means of a ring of twelve units arranged between the radial arms 35 in four groups of three, each unit (Fig. 8) comprising a yoke 39 carrying an anvil 40 fixed thereto and a radially movable punch 41. The yoke 39 is mounted on a slide 42 having limited radial movement on a guide structure 44 adjustably secured to the top plate 36, and is urged radially inwardly by a spring 63 so that the anvil 40 normally lies inwardly of the wheel spider flange. The punch 41 is carried at the end of a piston 54 which operates in a doubleacting hydraulic cylinder 53 secured to the yoke 39 so that when pressure oil is admitted to the outer end of the cylinder 53, the cylinder and yoke moves outwardly and the piston 54 moves inwardly. The anvil 40 and punch 41 engage the spider flange and rim base respectively under balanced pressures and upon sufficient increase of the oil pressure the punch pierces the rim base and spider flange. Operation of the piercing units is controlled by a hydraulic unit 96 (Fig. 1) comprising a pressure generating unit, valve assembly and oil pressure intensifier, which controls the supply of pressure oil to a double ring main 57, 59 from which the outer and inner ends, respectively, of the cylinders 53 are supplied. Lubrication of the punches 41 is effected via pipes 72 overhanging each punch in its normal retracted position, the lubricant being fed thereto by a pump 67 (Fig. 4), the shaft 69 of which is connected -to one of the guide-rods 23 for oscillation during the raising and lowering of the rim-carrying plate 22. Operation. To initiate operation of the machine, with a loose assembly positioned on the guides 2, a start switch 82 is pressed to operate a valve unit 85 and allow pressure-fluid to flow to the outer end of cylinder 16. The carriage 8 is advanced and at the end of its travel a pin 93 depending therefrom closes a limit switch 92 to operate a valve unit 89 and allow pressure fluid into the lower end of cylinder 20. The rim plate 22 is then raised and when the loose assembly is lifted clear of the positioning pins 10 ... 12, a limit switch 94, arranged in the path of one of the guide-rods 23 is allowed to open, to reverse operation of the unit 85 and effect withdrawal of the carriage 8 for reloading. When the rim plate reaches the end of its upward movement, its associated piston 21 abuts a rod 98 (Fig. 8) housed within the spacer body tube 39 and body 34 to operate a limit switch 97 and initiate operation of the hydraulic unit 96. When the piercing operation is completed, with the punches and anvils retracted to their normal positions clear of the wheel assembly, oil pressure in the unit 96 builds up to operate a micro-switch within the unit to reverse the operation of the valve unit 89 and effect lowering of the rim plate 22. The limit switch is closed by this downward movement, but advancement of the carriage 8 is delayed by a timer, operation of which is controlled by a limit switch 103 operable by a guiderod 23 at the lower end of its travel. A stop switch 83 and emergency stop switch 84 are provided, the latter, when pressed, operating a valve unit 105 to equalize the pressures at both ends of each of the cylinders 16 and 20 and stop their operation. Riveting.-Fig. 9A shows a modified anvil 106 and punch 108 of a machine as described above arranged for riveting the assembled rim and wheel body, their operation being the same as that described for piercing the rivet holes.