US3791248A

US3791248A - Shear machine knife adjustment

Info

Publication number: US3791248A
Application number: US00280193A
Authority: US
Inventors: E Pearson
Original assignee: Canron Inc
Current assignee: Canron Inc
Priority date: 1972-08-14
Filing date: 1972-08-14
Publication date: 1974-02-12
Anticipated expiration: 1991-02-12

Abstract

In a shear machine, the lower or fixed knife which is installed in a bed or table which, in turn, is slidably supported on the front sloping edges of the machine side housings, is adjustable horizontally with respect to the upper or movable knife by an adjustable wedge assembly installed frontally, in position to elevate the bed or table along the sloping edges, to reduce the horizontal spacing between the knives. The wedge angle with respect to the horizontal, is sufficiently steep, to cause the bed or table to respond to gravitational pull as the wedge adjustment is reversed, thereby to increase the horizontal spacing between the knives.

Description

United States Patent 91 Pearson 1 Feb. 12, 1974 [52] U.S. Cl 83/641, 83/694, 83/700 [51] Int. Cl B26d 1/00, 826d 5/08 [58] Field of Search 83/700, 694, 641

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1960 Pearson 83/700 X 1/1970 Krynytzky et al 83/700 X Primary Examiner-Willie G. Aberc rombie Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edward Brosler [57] ABSTRACT In a shear machine, the lower or fixed knife which is installed in a bed or table which, in turn, is slidably supported on the front sloping edges of the machine side housings, is adjustable horizontally with respect to the upper or movable knife by an adjustable wedge assembly installed frontally, in position to elevate the bed or table along the sloping edges, to reduce the horizontal spacing between the knives. The wedge angle with respect to the horizontal, is sufficiently steep, to cause the bed or table to respond to gravitational pull as the wedge adjustment is reversed, thereby to increase the horizontal spacing between the knives.

6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENIEB FEB 1 2 1914 sum 1 0F 3 FIG. .1.

PATENTED FEB l 2 I974 SHEEISIJFS FIG'. 4A

FIG. 3 1

, 1 SHEAR MACHINE KNIFE ADJUSTMENT My invention relates to a mechanical shear or like machine, and more particularly to a knife adjustment for such machine.

ln cutting metal with a shear machine, horizontal clearance must exist between the cutting knives, the degree of clearance being usually determined by the minimum thickness of metal to be cut. The knives, therefore, should be adjustable relative to each other to enable proper clearance to be obtained.

Usually, when knife adjustments are provided for, only the lower or stationary knife which is attached to the work bed or table, is made adjustable.

Another problem relating to the shear machines or the like, results from the fact that during shearing, the work tends to cause a spreading of the knives, thus exposing the knives to heavy horizontal components of force, and such must be taken into consideration in providing for adjustability of the knives.

The aforementioned problems were taken into consideration in my U.S. Pat. No. 2,939,358 of June 7, 1960 for Ledger Blade Adjustment Means For Shear f Machine. My present invention is an improvement over that of my prior patent.

Among the objects of my invention are;

I. To provide a novel and improved shear or like machine;

2. To provide a novel and improved knife adjustment for a shear or like machine;

3. To provide a novel and improved knife adjustment for a'shear or like machine, which can be set to preclude a zero space adjustment;

4. To provide a novel and improved knife adjustment for a shear or like machine, which enables use of gravity to effect an automatic increase in space adjustment between knives as the knife adjustment is adjusted in reverse; and

5. To provide a novel and improved knife adjustment for a shear or like machine, which can adjust both ends of the adjustable knife simultaneously.

Additional objects of my invention will be brought out in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the same, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein,

FIG. I is a front view in elevation of one half of a shear machine incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view in elevation of the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged frontal view of a wedge assembly adjustment and indicating means, employed in the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view in section taken in the plane 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4a is a diagram depicting the gravity angle involved in the wedge assembly adjustment of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a frontal view showing the indicating means as modified for use at the opposite end of the machine;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the indicating means of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view depicting a modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawings for details of my invention, the same is shown incorporated into a hydraulically powered shear machine comprising a frame 1 involving a pair of spaced

similar side housings

3 and 5, each formed with a relatively deep throat 7 in the front edge thereof.

Joining the side housings along the front edges below the throats, is a front wall 9 constituting a component of a work bed or table assembly in which the table 11 extends outwardly from the front wall along its upper edge.

The front wall and table, at the junction thereof, is recessed to receive a stationary knife 15, while the table itself is braced by end gussets 16.

The front edge portions of the side housings above the throats are set back somewhat to permit of supporting a ram 17 which carries the upper knife 19 of the machine in proper relationship to the fixed or stationary knife 15.

For the purpse of mounting the ram for movement, a pair of ways 25 are affixed to the upper front edges of the side walls, and the ram is slidably mounted on them by guide channels 29 affixed to the rear side of the ram and in engagement with the ways.

The operating movements of the ram are controlled hydraulically in the machine under consideration by a system including a hydraulic motor 33 at each end, each fixed to the upper front edge of one of the side housings of the machine and coupled to the ram. Thus, each end of the ram will be powered by one of these hydraulic motors.

The work to be sheared is held to the work table by hold-down means involving a plurality of hydraulically operated pistons in accordance with the disclosure of US. Pat. No. 2,781,844 of Feb. 19, 1957, for Hydraulically Powered Machine in which I appear as a joint inventor.

Inasmuch as the present invention is appropriate to the machine of my earlier aforementioned US. Pat. No. 2,939,358, the side housings will extend to the front of the machine and terminate in sloping front edges Whfifiglbfihorder omifigfiaes with the vertical. Each of such edges includes an upstanding lug 45.

The front wall 9 of the table assembly is adapted to span and slidably rest upon these sloping edges of the side housings, which may be deemed mounting walls, and to provide for such mounting, the front wall has end slots 49 to receive the abutment lugs, the end slots being longer than the lugs to permit of limited sliding movement of the front wall on these sloping edges for adjustment purposes. Mounting bolts 51 are provided at each corner of the front wall to securely hold the table assembly in any adjusted position. The holes for the mounting bolts in the front wall must accordingly be elongated to permit of any such adjustments. Preferably, a large washer 53 encircling each bolt 51 between the front wall and sloping edge of the mounting wall will facilitate movement of the wall 9 with respect to the mounting walls in making adjustments and may be deemed a part of the sloping surface.

To enable such adjustments, the slots are enlarged circularly at their upper ends, at each of which ends I provide a novel and improved wedge assembly adjustment means 55, and unlike that of my earlier patent, the wedge assembly adjustment means extends in the frontal directionthrough the proximate slot of the front wall in contact with the upper edge of the slot and the upper end of the associated abutment lug, and is anchored in the adjacent sloping edge of the proximate mounting wall.

This wedge assembly adjustment means, in its preferred form, includes an upper wedge block 57 engaging the upper end of the slot in a complementary fit, and formed with its lower surface 59 inclined to provide an inclined wedge engageable surface extending in the frontal direction through its associated slot.

Supported on the upper end of the abutment lug is a spherical seat 61 to receive and support a complementary lower wedge block 63 having a planer upper surface 65 normal to the lug.

The upper and lower wedge blocks thus define a wedge space to receive a wedge 67 which extends in a frontal direction into the wedge space thus provided.

This wedge has a longitudinal bore 69 therethrough, to freely receive a stud 71 which, at one end 73, is anchored in the sloping edge of the mounting wall, while the opposite end 75 of the stud extends beyond the exposed end of the wedge, this end being threaded to receive a nut 77, preferably one of the blocking type, such as one provided with a radial plug of rubber, plastic, leather or equivalent friction material. Intermediate this locking type nut and the proximate end of the wedge, is preferably installed a washer or washer assembly 79.

it will be appreciated that with the stud securely anchored in the sloping edge of the mounting wall, that any tightening of the nut against the washer assembly will drive the wedge inwardly to effect an upward lifting movement of the proximate end of the table assembly, the complementary spherical surfaces between the spherical seat and the bottom wedge block, permitting of the slight angular tilting of the table assembly resulting from the individual adjusting of one end of the table assembly. A similar adjustment at the opposite end of the table assembly will restore the table to its original horizontal position, and the resulting slight upward movement of the table assembly will bring about a corresponding movement of the lower knife carried thereby. Inasmuch as such movement is along an incline surface, there will be a horizontal component of movement involved which will diminish the horizontal spacing between the upper knife and the lower knife.

By reversing the rotational adjusting movement of the nut, the wedge can be withdrawn causing a slight lowering of the table assembly with a resulting increase in the horizontal spacing between the two knives.

A significant feature of the present invention lies in the fact that, in spite of a shallow slope of say 4 to l, of the wedge surface, the table assembly will, upon reversing the rotation of the adjusting nut, automatically respond to gravitational pull, forcing the wedge outwardly in the process, to the extent permitted by the prevailing position of the nut. This ability to respond to gravitational pull may be attributable to the frontal direction of installation of the wedge assembly, taken in conjunction with the angular or slope mounting of the wall of the table assembly.

This will become more apparent by reference to FIG. 4a of the drawings where, it will be noted that, while the sloping surface of the wedge with respect to the longitudinal axis of the wedge, is relatively shallow, it is the angle which this wedge surface makes with the horizontal which determines the effect of gravitational pull. Since the front wall of the table assembly lies at a substantially 30 angle to the vertical, such angle is added to the angle determined by the 4 to l ratio slope of the wedge surface to determine the gravity" angle which the wedge surface makes with the horizontal. This angle therefore, becomes steep enough to permit the weight of the table assembly and lower knife to overcome the frictional resistance offered by the wedge surfaces, thereby enabling the table assembly and fixed knife to self adjust in the downward direction upon reverse rotation of the adjusting nut.

To minimize such frictional resistance, such wedge surfaces may be appropriately lubricated, by machine lubricating channels 81 in the upper and lower surfaces of the wedge and flow connecting them by bores in the wedge leading to accessible grease fitting openings 83.

A zero or negative spacing between the fixed and movable knives of a shear machine is likely to cause serious damage to the knives and the machine and therefore is something not to be tolerated. The present invention contemplates precautionary measures to preclude any such adjustments.

Toward this end, the wedge is provided with oppositely directed

ears

85, 87, one facing the upper wedge block 57 and the other facing the lower wedge block 63, with each ear provided with a threaded passageway therethrough to receive a jack screw 89 adapted to be threaded into engagement with its associated wedge block. A jam nut 91 threaded onto each jack screw, will serve to maintain the prevailing adjustment of the jack screw.

It will be apparent that the wedge cannot be adjusted into the wedge space beyond the limits determined by the jack screws. Accordingly, if the jack screws are adjusted so as to permit the minimum desired horizontal spacing between the two knives, then no closer adjustments can be made without deliberately re-adjusting the jack screws, and thus safety in this respect, is assured.

The jack screws in addition to their primary function of limiting the minimum permissible spacing between the knives of the machine, can be made to serve an additional function, namely that of freeing the wedge from the wedge block, should the wedge for any reason become frozen in relationship to the wedge block from corrosion or other causes. It will be apparent that such separation can be effected by merely tightening up on the jack screws, which will serve to jack the wedge and the wedge blocks apart.

In view of the fact that the horizontal spacing between the two knives is a function of movement of the front wall along the sloping edges of the mounting walls, indication of knife adjustments could be obtained by a suitable scale on the mounting wall and an appropriate pointer or indicator attached to the proximate end of the front wall of the table assembly. Such type of indication however, would not apt to be sufficiently accurate, in view of the smallness of the adjustments which would be involved, and accordingly more sensitive readings or indications would be desirable.

Accordingly, from the view point of providing amplified indications to achieve legibility and accuracy, I utilize a dial indicator 95 having a pressure responsive stem 97 to actuate the needle of the indicator. Because such type of indicator will indicate only in one direction, such as by a clockwise movement of the needle, and since the relationship of the mounting wall with respect to the front wall of the table assembly at one end of the machine is reversed from that at the other end of the machine, the indicating assembly at one end will At one end of the work table assembly, the dial indi- I cator is mounted on a bracket 99 of sufficient length to bring the dial indicator in the plane of the mounting wall, and with its pressure responsive stem directed towards the proximate abutment lug, on which is affixed a triangular block 101 presenting a vertical surface 103 for engagement by the pressure responsive stern of the indicator.

Being that the engaged surface is vertical, only the forward horizontal components of movement of the dial indicator stem will be blocked as the table assem bly moves in the upward direction toward reducing the space between the knives. Consequently, the dial indicator will respond to and indicate horizontal components of travel only, and can thus be calibrated to read in terms of the horizontal spacing between the knives of the machine.

As the table assembly is lowered to widen the gap between the knives, the dial indicator will accordingly restore itself in accordance with such lowering of the table assembly and indicate the increasing horizontal separation of the knives.

At the other end of the table assembly, a similar dial indicator will be employed, but for reason previously indicated, it will be reversed as to the direction of its pressure responsive stern. In order to provide a vertical surface against which it may ride as the table assembly is adjusted, a horizontal arm 107 is bolted to the surface of the proximate abutment lug and provided with a vertical extension 109 in line with the dial stem, against which the stem may abut and ride with adjustments at this end of the table assembly.

In the case of both dial indicators, a shroud 111 is provided which encloses the indicating mechanism except for an opening provided to expose the dial of the indicator to make readings available.

The present invention lends itself readily to simultaneous adjustment of both ends of the table assembly with its fixed knife.

This can be accomplished by machining a worm type thread 113 about each of the adjusting nuts 77 and simultaneously rotating them from a cross shaft 115 rotatably mounted along the front wall 9 of the table assembly and provided with a worm gear 117 adjacent each end in mesh with the proximate adjusting nut. One end of this shaft can extend beyond the worm gear and provided with any available means to enable an operator to rotate the shaft to make adjustments from one end of the machine.

From the foregoing description of my invention and its preferred form it will be'apparent that the same is subject to alteration and modification without departing from the underlying principles involved, and I accordingly do not desire to be limited in my protection to the specific details illustrated and described, except as may be necessitated by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine embodying a horizontal fixed element of substantial length, a movable element cooperating therewith to perform a change on a piece of work, a pair of mounting walls extending to the front of said machine and terminating in sloping front edges, each edge including an upstanding lug, a front wall carrying said fixed element, said front wall spanning said mounting walls and having end slots receiving said lugs, said end slots being longer than said lugs to permit of limited sliding movement of said front wall on the sloping edges of said mounting walls; wedge assembly means at each end of said front wall and adjustably spacing the upper edge of each slot from the proximate lug to slidably adjust said front wall and fixed element carried thereby along the proximate mounting wall whereby to alter the horizontal spacing between said fixed and movable elements, each said wedge assembly means extending in a frontal direction through a slot between the upper edge of said slot and the proximate lug, and including adjusting means for adjusting said wedge assembly means to shift the position of said front wall along said sloping edges.

2. Wedge assembly means in accordance with claim 1 characterized by said wedge assembly means including a wedge block having an inclined wedge engageable surface extending in a frontal direction through said slot and a wedge having a complementary inclined surface facing said wedge engageable surface, and said adjusting means including a stud passing in a frontal direction through said wedge and anchored at one end in the sloping front edge of the proximate mounting wall, and an adjusting nut threaded onto the opposite end of said stud.

3. Wedge assembly means in accordance with claim 1, and means for indicating the horizontal component of adjustment of said fixed element with movement of said front wall along the sloping front edges of said mounting walls.

4. Wedge assembly means in accordance with claim 1, characterized by said wedge assembly means having a wedge angle with respect to the horizontal, sufficiently steep such that the weight of said front wall and fixed element will overcome wedge friction as said adjusting means is reversely adjusted, to cause gravitational lowering of said front wall along said sloping front edges with a corresponding horizontal adjustment of said fixed element with respect to said movable element.

5. Wedge assembly means in accordance with claim 1, and means for indicating the horizontal component of adjustment of said fixed element with movement of said front wall along the sloping front edges of said mounting walls, said indicatingmeans including a dial indicator having a pressure actuated stem in riding engagement with a surface associated with a fixed component of said machine.

6. Wedge assembly means in accordance with claim 2, characterized by said inclined wedge engageable surfaE'TrTakinEafi ahgle of less than wit h the sloping front edge of the proximate mounting wall to provide an angle with the horizontal sufficient to enable the weight of said front wall and fixed element to overcome frictional resistance between said wedge surfaces, whereby, in the absence of other restraint, said front wall and fixed element will respond to gravitational pull.

Claims

5. Wedge assembly means in accordance with claim 1, and means for indicating the horizontal component of adjustment of said fixed element with movement of said front wall along the sloping front edges of said mounting walls, said indicating means including a dial indicator having a pressure actuated stem in riDing engagement with a surface associated with a fixed component of said machine.

6. Wedge assembly means in accordance with claim 2, characterized by said inclined wedge engageable surface making an angle of less than 90* with the sloping front edge of the proximate mounting wall to provide an angle with the horizontal sufficient to enable the weight of said front wall and fixed element to overcome frictional resistance between said wedge surfaces, whereby, in the absence of other restraint, said front wall and fixed element will respond to gravitational pull.