Patent GB-202666-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to cutting by oxy-acetylene and like jet cutting processes
IPC: B23K7/00
Filed: 1922-02-27
Abstract: 202,666. Godfrey, A. Feb. 27, 1922. Perforating or dividing by fusion. - In an oxyacetylene or like jet-cutting machine, the blowpipe is supported on a longitudinal slide through means permitting lateral motion thereof so as to make cuts of great length, the shape of the cut being determined by one or more templates. Two blowpipes 11, 11<a>, Fig. 1, are provided, one of which 11 is mounted directly on and the other bv a jointed arm 52 on a slide 8, which is provided with guide rolls 9 and 10, Figs. 3 and 6, and is laterally movable on a slideway 5, which is movable longitudmally on girders 1 supported by a cross-beam 3 from pillars 4. The jointed arm may be replaced by a pivoted telescopic arm. A number of standard lengths of girder may be connected together to suit the length of cut. The slideway 5 has rollers 6 running on a plate 2 secured to the girders and for straight cuts may be traversed by a rack and pinion or by a pair of friction rolls 7, 7a, Fig. 6, the roll 7 of which is carried by a pivoted frame 30, normally held by a spring 33 in contact with the plate 2, but capable of being raised, when desired, by a cam 32<a> operated by a knob 31. The roller 7 is driven by a worm wheel 32 and worm 29, which is rotated by bevel gear 27, 26 from a splined shaft 20, carried by the slideway 5. The shaft 20 is driven through a reversing tumbler gear 17, 18 by a fiexible shaft 15, Fig. 1, or a telescopic shaft with univer. sal joint, which is rotated through variable speed friction gear 67, 68 from a motor 66 carried by a truck 60, running on rails 61 parallel with the girder and provided with an operator's platform 60<a>. The truck carries the gas cylinders 62, 63 and the gas controls 64 and to reduce the amount of flexible shaft and flexible pipe 65 required, the truck may be traversed, when making longitudinal cuts, in synchronism with the slideway 5 by gearing 69, 70, worm gear 71 and friction rolls 72, 73. The roll 73 is carried by an eccentric mounting and may be moved by a lever 74 away from the rail to stop the traverse of the truck, Means are provided for taking up the surplus length of flexible pipe, when making lateral cuts. The tumbler gears are carried by an arm 23, which is moved to forward, neutral and reverse positions by the engagement with a projection 22, Fig. 3, thereon of inclined faces in a bar 21 which is moved either by a hand lever 24 or by adjustable stops 25. Lateral movement of the slide 8 is effected from the shaft 20 by a worm 34, worm wheel 35, hollow spindle 36, double clutch 37, pinion 38 and fixed rack 39. For setting purposes the pinion 38 may be rotated by a handle 40 through bevel gear 41 and pinion 42. In order to make a circular cut the clutch 37 is raised by a hand lever 43 to engage a pinion 47, which through a spur wheel 48 rotates a spindle 49 on which the blowpipe 11 is mounted. The blowpipe is mounted in a sleeve 12, Fig. 1, having an extension 12a which is adjustable by a screw 14 in a head 13 carried by the spindle so as to vary the radius of the cut. The blowpipes have limited vertical movement in the sleeves, being preferably spring-pressed and may be supported from the work by adjustable rollers 53. In order to effect a profile cut the worm wheel 35 is connected by a cone clutch to a spindle 45, Fig. 3, carrying a roller 46, which alone or together with a pair of idle rollers 51, Fig. 5, is pressed against the template 55 or 55a. The template consists of an overhead strip with vertical sides. The idlers shown are carried on ball bearings on pivoted arms 56 which are pressed together by a spring and released by gripping the extensions. All the feeds are thus effected from a single shaft 20 and are under the control of a single lever 24. The size of gears and rolls is chosen so as to give a constant cutting speed for straight and irregular cuts and for circles of unit diameter. The jointed arm 52, carrying the blowpipe 11<a> may be secured by screws when making straight cuts. When making profile cuts, the arm is freed and rollers mounted above the blowpipe are pressed against either a stationary template with one of the feeds engaged or against a revolving template, in which case the work is rotated. The blowpipe may be inclined as shown in cutting bevels, the work being mounted on the table 82, Figs. 1 and 8. The table may either be rotated to perform circular cuts or may be stationary for supporting work. For the former purpose it is arranged to carry a worm wheel 81, which is rotated by a worm 76 through speed reducing and reversing tumbler gears 75, from the flexible shaft or other source. The gearing is carried by a box 77 mounted on a vertical pivot and normally held with its worm in engagement with the worm wheel by a spring 79 which holds it in contact with a screw stop. It is disengaged by an inclined rod 94, which is raised by a link on a shaft 92<a> operated by a hand lever 92. The tumbler gear is moved by a rod carried by a link on a shaft 93a operated by a hand lever 93. When used as a stationary table it may be vertically adjusted by a screw 89 rotated by a worm wheel 88 through a worm and spur gears rotated by a hand wheel 83 on the shaft 84. The shafts 84, 92<a>, 93a are all splined and slidably mounted so that their operating handles are accessible for any width of work. In a modified machine, a blowpipe is mounted in a jointed arm earned by a longitudinal slide, rollers being provided to engage a template. The first joint on the arm may be fixed when making substantially longitudinal cuts and the drive transmitted to the slide. When making substantially lateral cuts the slide is locked, the arm freed and the drive transmitted to the rollers. The slide may however at all times be free and the drive transmitted through the rollers. The machines are particularly applicable for cutting out a locomotive side frame or other large work piece without resetting the work, which is placed on supports situated cut of the way of the cuts. The blowpipe is set along the lateral slide and locked in required position. Longitudinal straight cuts are performed by the longitudinal traverse of the slide 5 and truck. In cutting recesses the feeds are disengaged the slides freed and the template, feed or circular feed engaged. Specifications 130,450, 163,432, and 163,625 are referred to. According to the Provisional Specification, the motor may be mounted on the longitudinal slide. The lateral slide is also stated to be traversed by a. friction roller.