US2888973A - Yieldably urged wipe forming and holding shoe adapted for curved surfaces - Google Patents

Description

June 2, 1959 A. YURKA, JR 2,888,973

YIELDABLY URGED WIPE FORMING AND HOLDING SHOE ADAPTED FOR CURVED SURFACES Filed June 21, 1956 V 5 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

V BY W fi AW M June 2, 1959 YIELDABLY'URGBD WIPE FORMING AND HOLDING SHOE ADAPTED FQR CURVED SURFACES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 21, 1956 INVENTOR. WWI;4"I BY 5 K I flTTflE/VEKJI June 2, 1959 A. YURKA, JR YIELDABLY URGED WI 2,888,973 PE FORMING AND HOLDING SHOE ADAPTED FOR CURVED SURFACES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 21, 1956 INVENTOR. aw 1 BY '41 477'0F/Vf/X United States Patent YIELDABLY URGED WllPE FORMING AND HOLD- ING SHOE ADAPTED FOR 'CURVED SURFACES 4 Claims. (Cl. 15340) This invention relates to a wipe forming and holding shoe and particularly to a wipe forming and holding shoe having curvilinear wiping face of which various small increments along the face in a direction transversely of the direction of wiping are self-adjusting so that the wiping face can conform to the changing contour of a side face die which face has different curvilinear cross sections at different locations along its length.

The Wiping shoe of the present application is particularly adapted for use with the apparatus described in the United States Letters Patent No. 2,816,593, issued December 17, 1957 to Henry W. Hein and Frank J. Phillips, and entitled Method and Apparatus for Stretch Forming Tapered Blanks.

As therein more fully described, it is desirable in the forming of lengths of stock of tapered section about side face dies that a shoe be provided which can adjust itself to the difierent curvilinear cross sections of the side face of the die, taken in a plane at right angles to the direction of wiping, at different locations along the length of the die.

For this purpose the die must have a Wiping face which is preferably continuous along the cross section of the die to which it is to be applied yet is arranged with means for curving it by small increments to preselected degrees at various portions along the length of the face in a direction transversely of the wiping direction.

As more fully described in the above identified copending application, the forming of such tapered blanks is by means of an apparatus such as described in United States Letters Patent No. 2,810,421, issued October 22, 1957 to Stanley M. Dolney and Henry W. Hein, and entitled Method and Apparatus for Forming Elongated Metal Stock, for which the present shoe is particularly well adapted, its use with other apparatus being apparent from the following description wherein reference is made to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of an apparatus for stretch and wipe forming strip stock;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the wiping and holding shoe of the present invention and its supporting and operating mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a modified form of the forward portion of the shoe; and

Figs. 8 and 9 are diagrammatic illustrations showing modifications of the wiping shoe.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus in which the shoe is used may comprise generally a frame 1 on which is mounted a horizontal turntable 2 rotatably driven in opposite directions selectively through the medium of a suitable rack and pinion, not shown, by a reversible piston and cylinder assemblage 3.

Mounted on the table is a holding and stretching piston and cylinder assemblage 4 having a holding head 5 adapted to grip one end of a length of stock S for applying tension thereto or for holding that end of the stock in fixed position relative to the table, selectively.

Mounted on the table 2 is a side face die D about which the stock is to be formed.

On the frame 1 is the main piston and cylinder assemblage 6 to which is operatively connected a gripping head 7 adapted to engage the opposite end of the stock S and apply tension thereto suflicient to stretch form the stock.

Connected with the frame 1 is a frame 8 which extends alongside the frame 1 and has a trackway 9 on which a suitable carriage 10 is reciprocable by means of a piston and cylinder assemblage 11.

On the carriage ll) is a saddle 12 on which is mounted a wipe forming piston and cylinder assemblage 13. Mounted on the saddle in a suitable guide is a slide 14. On the forward end of the slide 14 is a pedestal 15 on which the wiping and holding shoe 16 of the present invention is carried.

For purposes of description, the wiping shoe 16 is described as positioned to cooperate with a die on a horizontal turntable, it being understood that the positions thus defined are merely for establishing the relative positions of the parts as obviously the entire apparatus can be turned with the plane of the turntable vertical or in other directions without affecting the operation.

As best illustrated in Figs. 2 through 6, the wipe forming shoe comprises a plurality of shoe elements 21) which are arranged relatively close together, end to end, in a vertical row which extends transversely of the wiping direction, which direction, in the position in which the apparatus illustrated is positioned, is horizontal.

Means are provided for supporting the elements for individual movement forwardly and rearwardly of the row while constraining them from movement laterally of the row relative to each other. This means comprises a pair of upright plates 21 spaced apart horizontally from each other so as to lie at opposite sides of the row of elements 213 and confine the elements while guiding them for sliding movement forwardly and rearwardly. The plates 21 are secured to a base block 22 and the resultant assemblage is secured to the pedestal 15 for movement therewith forwardly and rearwardly.

A plurality of piston and cylinder assemblages 23 are connected to the elements 20 so as to yieldably urge the elements forwardly and rearwardly independently of each other so that they may move for conforming the wiping face of the shoe to differences in cross section of the side face of the die at different locations along the length of the face.

Each piston and cylinder assemblage 23 comprises a cylinder 24 in which a piston 25 is reciprocable, the piston 25 having a rod 26 at the outer end of which is carried a connecting link 27 by which the piston rod is pivotally connected to an associated one of the elements 20 by means of a pivot 28. Thus each element 20 is supported on its link for rocking about a horizontal axis, that is, an axis extending parallel to the wiping direction.

Each cylinder 24 is connected by a suitable duct 29 to a common control duct 30 which is provided in the base plate 22 and to which fluid pressure is supplied by a pipe 31 from an extraneous source. Hydraulic pressure fluid is preferred.

Each of the assemblages is connected to the common conduit 30 so that when fluid pressure is applied each piston will be moved forwardly to the extent necessary to cause accommodation of the wiping face of the elemen 20 to the side face of the die.

The elements have a common wiping face which is preferably one face of a strip 32 of wear resistant material which can withstand the wear and abrasion of the wiping operation yet can be bent and flexed flatwise to conform to the cross section of the die face. Metal or some of the harder wear resistant plastics are preferred. The strip 32 extends the full length of the row of elements 20. Flexible force equalizing-distributing means are interposed between the forward faces of the elements 20 and the rear face of the strip 32 and are operable to distribute the forces applied by the elements more nearly uniformly along the entire length of the strip 32 and more nearly at right angles to, or normal to, the rear face of the strip 32 at their points of application.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 4 through 6 the flexible force equalizing-distributing means may comprise a resilient but relatively stiff rubber cushion 33. For accommodating the strip 32 and the flexible force equalizing-distributing means, the forward ends of the elements 20 are channel shaped and the rubber strip is disposed in the channel between the base and the strip 32. The wiping strip 32 is disposed near the plane of the forward face of the elements and extends slightly therebeyond forwardly. The strip is sufficiently thick, however, so that its edges lie between the sides of the channel in front of the elements 20 and thus is engaged thereby, as indicated at 34, so as to constrain the strip 32 from moving laterally of the row of elements 20 or, in the wiping direction. Since the elements 20 accommodate themselves to the major changes in curvature of different portions of the cross section of the face of the die and can be positioned forwardly and rearwardly from the pedestal, very little movement of the strip 32 relative to the individual elements is required, and, therefore, little distortion of the rubber is necessary. The forward portion of the rubber strip is cut back slightly along its sides, as indicated at 35, from the channel side walls of the elements 20 so that the rubber can expand thereinto as it is compressed by movement of the strip 32 toward the base of the channel.

The rubber is sufficiently firm so that full holding pressure required for holding the stock firmly against the die and frictionally binding it against endwise movement due to the tensioning stresses can be obtained.

The rubber strip 33 preferably is common to all of the elements 20 though if desired separate strips may be utilized.

In some instances, instead of the rubber strip 33, a large number of oiled laminated strips 36, preferably of metal, may be used, these being juxtaposed fiatwise on the back of the strip 32 and in face-to-face relation, as illustrated in Fig. 9, and connected together at one end only so that they can slide relative to each other and adjust themselves to different curvatures and flexures of the operating face 32.

In the form of the invention thus far described, each element 20 is operated by a single piston and cylinder assemblage.

However, as illustrated in Fig. 8, links 37 may be provided between each piston and the adjacent ends of two adjacent elements 20, the links being adapted to rock so that one piston urges the ends of two adjacent elements 20 toward the side face of the die. With pressure thus applied from each piston to two adjacent elements 20, full conformance with the curvature of the die can be obtained.

Again, as illustrated in Fig. 9, a single link 37 may be connected to each piston for rocking movement about a horizontal axis and this link in turn connected to two adjacent elements 20 near their centers. The elements 20 are connected to the link for rocking movement about horizontal axes and thus they can accommodate themselves to the curvature of the die by bodily movement and by rocking about the connection of the link with a piston rod, and individually by-rocking about their pivotal connections with the link, In each such instance it is apparent that the elements are connected to piston and cylinder assemblage so that each element is urged forwardly into proper cooperation with the die independently of the movement of the others so that the strip 32 can adjust itself properly to the die and be forced thereagainst with approximately uniform unit pressure at all portions along the entire length of the strip 32.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A wipe forming shoe for wipe forming a length of metal stock and having a variable contour wiping face which is continuously curvilinear transversely of its wiping direction, and comprising a plurality of shoe elements arranged in relatively closely spaced end to end relation to each other in a row extending transversely of the wiping direction, means supporting the elements for individual movement forwardly and rearwardly of the row and constraining them from movement laterally out of the row, a plurality of piston and cylinder assemblages connected to the elements so as to yieldably urge each element forwardly independently of movement of the other elements forwardly, means for connecting said assemblages concurrently to a source of pressure fluid for yieldably urging said elements forwardly concurrently under yielding pressure, at least one element being connected to each assembly, a continuous, flexible wear resisting strip of relatively hard material having a wiping face exposed forwardly of the row of elements and of a size sufficient to cover the entire width of the stock, a continuous elastomeric force equalizing-distributing means interposed between the forward faces of the elements and the other face of the strip and engaging said other face over substantially its entire area, and operatively connected to the strip to dis tribute forces from the elements more nearly uniformly along the strip and to direct said forces as distributed at more nearly right angles to the curvilinear wiping face of the strip at the points of application of the distributed forces thereto by the equalizing-distributing means.

2. A wipe forming shoe according to claim 1 wherein the shoe elements are connected to the assemblages, respectively.

3. A wipe forming shoe according to claim 1 wherein said means supporting the elements are a generally upright support and guide means supporting the support for movement forwardly and rearwardly, the shoe elements are arranged one above the other in said row for movement forwardly and rearwardly of and relative to the support and with the support, said assemblages include cylinders carried by said support and arranged in a generally upright row with their axes extending horizontally forwardly and rearwardly of the support, and pistons in said cylinders, respectively, said pistons being connected to the elements for yieldably urging each element forwardly independently of the movement of the others forwardly.

4. A wipe forming shoe according to claim 2 wherein said upright support is channel shaped, means to support the support with its open side disposed forwardly, the shoe elements are arranged in the channel support and are confined laterally by the channel sides of the support, and said piston and cylinder assemblages are disposed in the channel of the support rearwardly of the shoe elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 305,707 Norwood Sept. 23, 1884 1,203,152 Steudner Oct. 31, 1916 2,279,964 Berliner Apr. 14, 1942 2,303,059 Misfeldt Nov. 24, 1942 2,338,603 Schultz Jan. 4, 1944 2,373,822 Geppelt Apr. 17, 1945 2,379,658 Saunders July 3, 1945 2,522,319 Tinley Sept. 12, 1950 2,592,229 Alexay Apr. 8, 1952 2,806,506 Yurka Sept. 17, 1957

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