US2134501A - Axle press - Google Patents

Description

'Oct 25, 1938. c. c. BENNETT 2,134,501

' AXLE PRESS Filedoct. 18, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 v is Y I 14 l e F e2 62' 14 ZJ Claude C. Bennett Flg. Z v

. A m. ag 7|), 7 X ,1 7o fig dlo 4e v 52" V v I" 3mm. K53 j Claude C. Bennett Fig. 4 1

Oct. 25 1938.

Ill/M f4 Patented Oct. 25', 1.938

um'rso STATES PATENT OFFICE ma mass Claude 0. Bennett, South Bend, ImL, assignor to A. E. Feragen, Inc., Seattle, Wash, a corporation of Washington Application October is," me, semi No. 45,572

9 Claims. (01. 153-32). Y

is a large cumbersome device, yet it is desirable that it be mobile, at least to the extent where it can be moved from place to place over the floor 1 of a garage,,and be adjusted to position beneath the axle of the truck, rather than a device set in a frame or let into a pit, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an axle press for heavy duty which shall be sufflciently strong,

15 yet which may be compact and mobile.

It is a further object to provide such an axle press which is provided with hold-down means and with hydraulic jacks, preferably both of which are shiftable to different positions length- 20 wise of the axle and strongback bar, to accomplish bending operations in any particular region of the axle where bending l-s-likely to be required. It is a further object, in conjunction with such an axle press which rests upon the floor, to 25 provide means which enable the adjustment of the hold-down means to the height of any particular axle, which means may quickly and easily be adjustable, to the end that the axle is properly held down without undue movement and 30 without the necessity of lifting the axle against the hold-down means. I

It is also an object to provide such a device which can be employed equally well to change the wheel camber, and hence .the king pin slant,

35 and the toe-in of the wheels.

45 in is a further object to provide in such an axle press a means, particularly in'association with the pump, whereby the ram of each jack may be quickly projected into engagement with the axle, and which may; then be operated to 50 eifect slower but more'powerful pressure against the axle, to accomplish the bending.

/It is a-further object to devise such an axle press which shall be simple in construction, convenient to operate, and yet sufficiently strong and- 55 rugged, though sufliciently light and easy to handle that it can be moved about from place to place to locate it properly beneath the axle of a truck to be bent.

With these and other objects in mind, as will appear hereafter, my invention comprises the novel parts and'the novel combination and er. rangment thereof, as is shown in the accompanying drawings and as will be explained more fully in this specification and defined by the 5 claims terminating the same.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown -my invention embodied in a form'which is at present preferred by me. a

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the axle press shown applied to an axle, and with parts broken away and shown in section.

Figure 2 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale through the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1, substantially on the line 2-2 of that figure.

Figure 3 is a transverse horizontal section through the. valve block substantially on the line 33 of Figure 4, and Figure 4 is an axial section through the pump and valve block substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

b Figure 5 is a plan view of the pump and valve lock. Figure 6 is a front elevation-of the device, as it would be arranged to alter the toe-in of the w wheels.

Figure 71s a plan view of the latter arrangement, and Figure 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Figure 7. y

The axle is illustrated as a large, heavy axle of the type used in trucks. It is usually desirable to bend such'axles to straighten them without removing the axle from the car, and while the springs, shackles, and the like have not been illustrated, it will be understood that the axle remains in place beneath the truck and preferably the wheels Wremain in place upon: the ends of the. axle. The wheels may rest upon' blocks B, resting upon the floor F.

The axle press includes 'a strongback bar, generally designated by the numeral l, and consisting of two vertical plates Ill and I i, spaced apart 40 and held together by end plates i2 and bolts! or in any other convenient manner. Each of these plates is provided, in the form shown, with an inwardly directed flange H at its inner side,

for the purpose of supporting the base block 20 45.

ofa jack 2. Preferably two such jacks are employed, the second jack, to distinguish it, being designated by the numeral 2'. 2 The strongback bar 'thus formed is in itself large and heavy, and to enable it to be moved about over the floor F, 60 it is provided with casters or rollers I5 resting upon the floor. For a purpose which will later appear, the plates l0 and II are provided with perforations l6 at intervals. 1

Suitable means are provided, extending upwardly from the strongback bar'to the axle A, to engage the axle and to hold it down against an upwardly directed force. Such hold-down means are indicated in general by the numeral 3. As thus seen in. Figure 2, such means may consist of a clevis 30, adapted to straddle the axle A, a yoke 3|, having an eye in its lower-end for the reception of a pin 36, and a connection between the clevis 30 and yoke 3| which transmits stress from one to the other and which is preferably adjustable to vary the effective length of the holddown device 3. This may be accomplished by employing a screw 32 received in the yoke 3| and secured to the clevls 30 by a pin 33. The screw 32 engages a nut 34 which is snugly held between the sides of the yoke 3|, so that it may not rotate. Thus by rotating the clevis 30 or the head 35 of the screw, the efi'ective length of the holddown means 3 may be varied. The pin 35, it will be understood, is received in the holes IS in the plates l0 and II, and thus the hold-down means may be secured to the strongback bar in any one of a number of positions lengthwise of the latter. Two such hold-down means are shown, though any convenient number may be employed.

Each of the jacks 2 and 2' is formed with a ram 2|, which may in turn be provided with an adjusting screw 22. There is, however, no pump directly associated with either of the jacks, the jacks merely resting upon blocks 20, which rest upon the flanges l4, whereby the jacks may be shifted lengthwise of the strongback bar to any desired position, for cooperation with the hold-down means 3 in applying a force to the axle to alter the shape of the latter.

A single pump, generally designated by the numeral 4, is provided for the supply of fluid to either or both of the jacks 2 and 2. This pump 4 is shown as supported upon a valve block 5 which in turn is carried directly upon the strongback bar I, so that all essential parts may be moved over the floor as one unit. This pump should be located on the front side of the strongback bar, so that it is convenient for operation when the strongback bar is located beneath an axle. Fluid is carried in a reservoir 6, which may be supported on the rear side of the strongback bar, and is delivered through piping 60 to the inlet port of the valve block 5 (see Figure 3). The fluid is carried through passages in the valve block, which will be described in detail hereafter, and then is delivered through flexible connections 52 and 62' to the jacks 2 and 2, respectively.. These flexible connections should be sufliciently long to permit any desired shifting of the jacks lengthwise of the strongback bar, without kinking of such connections.

The pump 4 is preferably of a special ty )e. The pump barrel 40 is provided with a bore ,or a plunger 4|, which in turn is bored to receive a smaller plunger 42. An operating handle 44 is pivotally connected at 43 only to the smaller plunger 42. The handle 44, it will be understood, is fulcrumed at 45 upon a link 45, which in turn is pivotally carried at 41 upon the valve block 5.

However, the plunger 4| is provided with a flange- 48 at its upper end, and a dog 49, carried by the pin 43, is of such length that-it may engage the flange 48 and thus lock together the plungers 4| and 42 for conjoint reciprocation. When so locked, the plunger 4| is in efi'ect the only one operative, and this supplies a large volume of fluid at each stroke, and consequently effects rapid movement of the ram of the jack which is receiving fluid from the pump. Whenthe dog 49 is disengaged from the flange 48, the plunger 42 is the only one which is operative, and this effects delivery of a smaller volume of fluid, but greater power is thereby developed.

As a convenient means of controlling the position of the dog 49, I may employ a plate I which is pivoted upon the upper end of one of the holddown bolts 10 (see Figure 5), and which is notched for engagement with the other such bolt, at the opposite side of the pump; A handle permits the plate I to be swung from the full line position of Figure '5, wherein its cam surface 14 engages and forces the dog 49 out of engagement with the flange 48, as the pump handle 44 is oscillated, into the dotted line position, wherein it has released the dog 49, permitting the latter to swing downward as far as the.

pin 49', thus placing it in position to be reengaged with the flange 48. In the full line position, it will be observed from Figures 4 and 5 that the plate I overlies the flange 48, and prevents the plunger 4| from rising, but does not interfere with the reciprocation of the smaller plunger 42. In the dotted line position it interferes with neither plunger.

It will be observed from Figures 3 and 4 that the valve block 5 is provided with a passage 5| leading from the inlet port 50, to which the supply pipe is connected, to carry the fluid to a port 52 and thence past a check valve 53 to the pump chamber 54. The fluid'passes from the pump chamber, past a second check valve 55, to a branch passage 56, and thence past valves 51 and 51', to outlet ports 58 and 58'. At the port passage 5|.

It will now be apparent that by proper manipulation of the valves 51, 51', 59 and 59', and by control of the plate I, both jacks may be advanced simultaneously into contact with the under side of an axle, the hold-down means having been first adjusted, whereupon if it is desired that the jack 2' merely resist a downward movement, the valve 51' may be closed off (see Figure 3), holding the jack at its elevated position, and then the plate I may be thrown to the dotted line position of Figure 5, and the pumping con-' tinued, whereupon greater force will'be exerted through the jack 2, to effect upward bending of the handle, in the arrangement shown in Figure 1, between the two hold-down means. When the bending is completed, or if it is desired to gauge the axle to ascertain if it has been sumciently straightened, pressure may be relieved for example to alter the toe-in of the wheels, or -to straighten anaxle which has been bent in this plane. To this end I provide a pedestal 8 which is provided with a base |i|l of a size to rest upon the flanges ll of the strongback, and which is shaped at its upper end as a saddle to receive the jack 2 or 2 resting on its side. Since the jacks merely rest with their base 20 upon the flanges l4, either one of them may be lifted,

turned sideways, and placed in the saddle at the 75 50 a jack, a pedestal supported upon and shlitable axle A may be regulated by'the provision of suitable blocks B, so that the ram 2! of the jack bears properly against the axle. The axle may then be engaged by clevises 90 at each side of the jack, each connected by links 9| and pins 92 and 93 to a bar 9. the latter of which bears against the base 20 of the jack when held in the pedestal. The jack may now be operated as previously described, through oscillation of the pump handle 44, solidly supported upon the strongback I, and thus reacting from the bar 9 the jack serves to bend the axle A between the clevises 90. This operation is usually performed by one jack only. The other jack, for instance the jack 2' in Figures 6 and '1, may be moved to one end of the strongback, out of the way.

The drawings are not intended to represent the product in details as it wouldbe actually manufactured, but rather are intended as simplified and illustrative drawings showing hgw the principles of my invention may be employed.

What I claim as my invention is: 1. A heavy duty axle press comprising a strongback bar, hold-down means engageablewith an axle to be pressed, anchoring means to secure said hold-down means to the strongback bar, a plurality of hydraulic jacks resting upon and shiitable along the strongback bar, a pump independent of and operatively connected to the jacks,.a valve block operatively connected to said pump, and including valve means controlling delivery oi .fluld from the pump to any selected jack or jacks, and flexible conduits connecting -means to anchor the hold-down means to the strongback bar, an hydraulic jack resting upon said flanges for movement. lengthwise of the strongback bar, a pump mounted externally of the strongback bar, and flexible means connecting the pump and the jack.

3. A heavy duty axle press comprising a support, means for rendering the support mobile,

4. A heavy duty axle press comprising a.

strongback bar, an hydraulic Jack, a pedestal shiftable lengthwise of the strongback bar, and

formed to support said jack in horizontal, posi-' tion, a pump independent of and operatively connected to the jack, a bar engageable with the base of the jack, and tension members ex tending from the bar to the axle, and engageable with the latter to resist bending stresses generated by operation or the pump and jack.

5. A heavy duty axle press comprising a strongback bar, hold-down means formed to engage an axle, anchoring means to secure the hold-down means to the strongback bar, an hydraulic jack supported upon the strongback bar and cooperating with the hold-down means to alter the shape of an axle, a pump, a conduit connecting the pump and jack, said pump including a plunger of large diameter and a co- .axial plunger of small diameter carried by the first plunger, and releasable means to lock the two plungers together, whereby operation of the pump will operate both plungers together when locked, for quick advance of the jacks ram, and when unlocked will.continueslower but more powerful advance of the jacks ram.

6. A heavy duty axle press comprising a strongback bar, hold-down means formed to engage an axle, anchoring means to secure the nection between each such port and the corresponding jack, a passage in the valve block leading from the fluid reservoir connection to the pump inlet, a check valve interposed therebetween, a second passage connecting the pump outlet with each of said two ports, a check valve in said second passage to prevent return of fluid to the pump, two valves, one between each port and the check valve, operable to cut oil delivery of fluid to the corresponding port, and a valved by-passage connecting each port with the flrst passage, for return of fluid at will from either jack to the fluid reservoir.

7. A compact heavy duty axle press comprising a strongback bar including a pair of spaced plates rigidly connected together, each having along its lower edge an inwardly directed, longitudinally extending flange, casters supporting the strongback barfor movement over a floor and beneath the axle of an automobile, axle-engaging members adapted for securement to the strongback bar, and a jack disposed between said plates 5 and resting upon said flangesin disconnected engagement therewith, said jack being thereby positioned to engage the lower surface of the axle tobebent. I

8. An axle press comprising a strongback bar including a pair oi. spaced plates, rigidly con-- nected together, and having at intervals corresponding perforations, hold-down means including a yoke, an anchor pin extending through said yoke and a selected pair of corresponding periorations of the plates, a shank received by said their combined eilective length, and terminating in an eye at its upper end, a clevis engageable with an axle, and a clevis pin interengageable between said yoke and said clevis, and a jack reacting trom said strongback bar and engageable with the axle to bend it.

9. A heavy duty axle press comprising a strongback bar provided with ,flanges at the lower portion thereof, constituting a base, a pedestal slidably mounted upon the aforementioned flanges to adjust the pedestal lengthwise of the bar, a jack supported by said pedestal and yoke and adjustable relatively thereto to vary mounted in the horizontal plane oi the axle to

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