US2206296A - Method and apparatus for working cylindrical sheet metal articles having closed bottoms - Google Patents

Description

2,206,296 urn-non AND APPARATUS FOR WORKING CYLINDRICAL SHEET INVENTOR v c. L. CLARK IE'IAL ARTICLES HAVING CLOSED BUTTONS Filed Aug.

July 2, 1 940.

5 ent invention to provide an improved and inexunison radially with respect to said shell to, 3.

t 40 ends and beingdmwn r asingle blankrof the following description proceeds, reference be- 40,

Patented July 2,1940 v o it r 2,206,296

, "UNITED[STATES PA .ENT OFFICE a 2,206,296 1 METHOD AND APPARATUS FORVWORKINGI it CYLINDRICAL SHEET METAL ARTICLES HAvrNe cLosnD no'r'roivrs n Carl L. Clark, WarrenQOhio nastasia s, 1936, SerialNo. 94,598 v 3 Claims (01. 153-29) My invention relates to a method of and apbetween rolls engaging both faces of the shell paratus for rolling-inor reducing the diameter thereby preventing wrinkles forming.

of the open end portion of drawn or welded cy- The improved method of my present invention lindrical metallic shells having closed bottoms may be stated as including the steps of clamping and outward turned annular flanges at theopen the bottomportion of a cylindrical metallic shell ends thereof, and of particular ,applicationfor having aclosed bottom and outward turned an reducing the diameter of the open end portion nular flange at the open end, thereby holding of cylindrical rnetallic washing machine, tubs the shell against axial and radial movement, having closed bottoms and curled flanges at the holding the shell in alignment on a roll spaced 10, reducedopenend portions and being drawnfrom from the flanged portion, said troll being held a single piece orblank ofsheet metal, or having against axial and transverse movement, clampthe bottom portion welded to the cylindrical ing the flanged end of the shell between two rolls sheet metal portion. i 1; one of which is radially yieldable-with respect Present methods for accomplishing the reducto the shell,v and working the metal in and ad-- tion of the diameter of the open end portions of jacent to said flange by rotating the rolls and shells as described above consist either ofspinmoving the rolls engaging the flanged end por ning, which is a slow operation, or by means of tion radially toward the axisof the shell thereby a rollcontacting the outsideface ofthe, side wall reducing the diameter of the open end portion of a shell and moving radially toward the axis of theshell. thereof. Both of these methods require that an he i p oved appar t of y present inven- 20 appreciable width of stock at the openend of tion includes ,a chuck to hold t Shell against the shell extend beyond the rolled-in lportion axial an d l m v m nts pp r r ll to prevent buckling or wrinkling of the flange; held against axial and transverse movement and This metal must be trimmed 0 off and discarded arr ng d CQ tact the inside face of theshell 5 thereby causing a substantial loss in material.- on ali e p d om the Open end of the shell,

Further, present methods are inadequateand a pair of rolls to g ip t e flanged end Of h slow for reducingthe diameter ofthe open end shell vtherebetween, me s i302 mov one of said portions of washing machine tubs designed for rolls, designated a forming roll, toward and away household use which are streamlined to blend from e h l, eans to rotate the three rolls, with. the curved contourof the lids used to close i g m ans o urge th e d of d p 30, V the open or top end'of the tubs. Such closed-in 9 r0115, designated a pr r011, against t e tube are reduced in diameter at the openend shell a t0 guide the v m of Said D as u a t inches and more; i sure roll radially with respect to the shell, said Accordingly it is aprincipal object ofmy prespair of rolls after gripping e l to move in pensive method for accomplishing a substantial due? diameter of Open end portion,

reduction in the diameter of the open end por thereof- A tion of cylindrical metallic shells having closed Theiabove and P P w features and fi bottoms and outward turnedfianges at theopen vantages Of my Invention W111 be apparent as sheet metal, or being of welded construction as mg to accompanying drawing Which described in paragraph one, by Way of eXample, p e erred embodii i 1 l ments of the improved apparatusy Description a further Obie of my pretentmventm of the drawing follows; in whic r t to rovide anirnproved apparatus for reducing thediameter ofjtheopenfend portion of shells sgifii; j

desclllbefd P Q r s ends of cylindrical shells, showing the machine Also it is a further ,ObJGQt of my present min Vertical section; venllioll d e e o om amount tm i Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View taken along terialrequired to roll in orreducethe openend 1 2 z f H l portions as above described T e Q f m Fig, 3 is across-sectional Vi EW taken along effected because no metal is required.,in. the;side th j ne 3.4 f Fig 2; i j

11 of the shell at the open endobeyond the f Fig. 4 isapartial plan view showing the gears q rolled-in portionbecauseastherollingdnopera-, in'Fig. 3; w i 3 f tionprogressesthemargin of the shellis gripped Fig. 511s apartial cross-sectionalView ofthe,

rolls in Fig. 1 showing the position of the rolls at the start of the rolling operation;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a variation in the top roll 2|, the modification of sition by -means of plate 39 and pusher plate 4|! which hold the shell firmly in place and. rotate therewith. Roll 22 is mounted to rotate freely on sleeve 4| which is in turn mounted on shaft 2|] and rotates therewith. The contour of the roll 22 determines the contour of the rolled in end of the shell 38. Roll 2| is mounted on shaft l9 and rotates with it, and is raised for removal of the finished shell and for reloading and is caused to feed downward and upward by a drive mechanism not shown which is convene tional for this type of machine. Roll 23 is hollow and mounted over shaft 20 on rollers 21, 28, 29 and 3|, which are in turn mounted on cradle 30. In Fig. 2, one each of rolls 21, 28 and 25! are shown which are positioned at the left hand end of roll 23. There are three additional rolls located at the right hand end similarly tov 21,

28' and 29 the middle one of which, namely 3|, is shown in Fig. 1. Cradle 3|) is supported thru shaft 32 by air pressure in cylinder 33 so that as roll 2| descends the end of shell 38 is held firmly between rolls 22 and 23 thereby preventing wrinkles forming as the shell is spun or closed in.

Shaft I9 is driven by a source of power and thru a mechanism not shown but which is conventional for the type of machine shown. Shaft I9 is mounted in a bracket so that its axis is parallel to that of shell 38. 1 This bracket is preferably hinged on an extension of the frame of the machine to move toward and away from shaft 20 in a rocking motion, or slidably mounted to move radially relatively to shell 38 by a mechanism'as explained in the preceding paragraph. Shaft 20 is mounted in the frame of the machine with the axis thereof disposed parallel to the axes of shell 38 and shaft I9 and is driven by a source of power not shown. Shaft 20 rotates in a direction opposite to that of shaft l9 and preferably at the same speed. I

It is thus apparent that the shell 38 is caused to rotate about its axis during the interval that roll 2| is in contact with the open end portion of the shell.

Gear 25 is integral with roll23 and is driven thru idler gear 26 and gear 24 which latter gear is mounted on shaft 2|] and rotates therewith. This provides a positive drive for roll 2Z3 as the gearsstay in mesh as roll 23 moves up and down during the rolling operation.

Cradle 3G is guided by means of guide pins 36 and 31 and cap 33 prevents roll 23 from being unseated from rolls 21, 28, 29 and 3|. It is to be noted that the drive thrust from gear 26 to gear 25 is downward and at an angle equal to the obliquity of the tooth angle as shown by line.

Bracket 34 to which bracket 35 is attached,

which carries plate 39 and sleeve 4|, is attached rigidly to the frame of the rolling machine. Bracket 35 is made separate from 34 for ease in set up and changing rolls.

Before the rolling-in operation starts the shell 38 having been previously drawn or built up by welding is substantially as shown in Fig. 5. The

open end may or may not be trimmed as shown but in the case of the drawn shell the flared flange facilitates rolling and conserves material. The

operation of rolling in the open end of shell 38 proceeds as follows: Shell 38, as shown in Fig. 5, is placed in position, pusher plate 40 having been moved away and shaft l9 and roll 2| being raised to the'position shown dotted. Pusher plate 40 is then returned to clamping position and roll 2| moves downward and contacts shell 38. The roll 23 is held firmly and yieldingly by means of the air in cylinder 33, and moves downward with roll 2| during the closing-in stage of the opera tion. When the downward travel of roll 2| is completed it is at once returned to the up-position and pusher plate 40 moves away for unloading and ready for loading the next shellto be rolled in.

While a rolling machine with horizontal shafts is shown, the method is equally well adapted to rolling'machines with vertical shafts. Further, roll 22 could be built to rotate with shaft 2|] but the preferred construction is as shown.

Roll 2| can be made with a groove as in Fig. 6 to receive the outward flanged end of shell 38. This groove tends to prevent buckling of the flange during the'rolling-in operation.

The scope of .the'invention is not limited to any details shown or described but includes such embodiments of the broad idea, as fall within the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. In a metal working machine of the kind described for reducing the diameter of the open end portion of cylindrical metallicshell's each having a closed bottom and an outwardly turned flange at the open end thereof, the combination comprising: means to hold a shell at the bottom portion against radialand axial movement, said means including an abutting member and an ax ial moving clamping member; a supporting roll adapted to contact theinside face of the shell; an annular roll adapted to contact the inside face of the shell from the open end thereef to a point adjacent to the supporting roll; a pressure device to urge the annular roll against theshell; guiding means to guide said annular roll to move radially relatively to the shell; a forming roll adapted to move radially with respect to the shell and to contact the outside face thereof and to co-act with'the annular roll during a portion of said movement to hold the end portion of the shell firmly and to close in said portion about the face and one edge of the supporting roll; and means to rotate the supporting roll and the forming roll thereby rotating the shell during the interval said rolls are in contact with the shell; and means for moving the forming roll toward the annular roll to grip the shell therebetween and thereafter formoving the two said rolls ra: dially in unison to reduce the diameter of the open end portion of the shell.

2.1 In a metal working machineof the kind described for reducing the diameter of the open end portion of cylindrical metallic shells. having contact the outside face of the shell and to coact with the annular roll and the supporting roll to reduce the open end portion of the shell; means for rotating the supporting roll and the forming roll, the means for rotating the supporting roll including a rotatable shaft which carries such roll; means for rotating the annular roll about its axis, comprising a train of gears driven by said shaft; and means for moving the forming roll toward the annular roll to grip the shell therebetween and thereafter for moving the rolls radially in unison to reduce the diameter of the open end of the shell.

3. In a metal working machine of the kind described for reducing the diameter ofthe open end portion of cylindrical metallic shells each having a closed. bottom and an outwardly turned flange at the open end thereof, the combination comprising: means to hold a shell at the bottom portion against radial and axial movement, said means including an abutting member and an axial moving clamping member; a supporting roll adapted to contact the inside face of the shell and to hold the same in alignment; an an nular roll adapted to contact the inside face of the shell from the open end thereof to a point adjacent to the supporting roll; a pressure device to urge the annular r011 against the shell; guidmg means'to guide said annular roll tomove radially relatively to the shell; a forming roll grooved to receive the outward turned flange of the shell, and to co-act with the annular roll and thesupporting roll to reduce the open end portion of said shell; means for rotating the supporting roll and the forming roll; and means for moving the forming ro-ll toward the annular roll to grip the shell therebetween and thereafter for moving the two rolls radially in unison to reduce the diameter of the open end portion of the shell.

CARL L. CLARK.

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