Metal deforming – By use of tool acting during relative rotation between tool... – During rotation of work
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-03
2001-10-30
Larson, Lowell A. (Department: 3725)
Metal deforming
By use of tool acting during relative rotation between tool...
During rotation of work
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308547
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a shaft straightening and hardening machine, including a holder for a shaft-shaped workpiece. The holder can be moved circumferentially about an axis, which is essentially parallel to the axis of the workpiece, by a controlled rotary drive mechanism. The machine includes a coolant bath through which the holder passes as part of its path of circumferential or rotary movement. The holder includes at least one straightening shaft having a straightening mechanism or clement thereon, which is mounted at a specified location along the length of the workpiece and which acts radially upon the workpiece and can be swung sideways from said workpiece for the purpose of loading and unloading the workpiece.
2. Description of Related Art
In a prior art shaft straightening and hardening machine (as described in the prospectus from Hahn & Kolb, Stuttgart, No. 2510/24), a shaft-shaped workpiece may be clamped between two headstocks at a loading and unloading station. The machine includes several groups of straightening rolls, which can be moved along a bed parallel to the workpiece axis to specific locations along the length of the workpiece where the workpiece is to be acted upon with a specified or predetermined degree of straightening. To load and unload the workpiece into the machine, a straightening roll of each group of straightening rolls can be swung sideways or radially and the workpiece is loaded into, or unloaded from, the two headstocks. A rotary drive mechanism conveys the holder with the assigned straightening rolls through the coolant bath, usually an oil bath, for the purpose of workpiece quenching. After emerging from the oil bath, the hardened workpiece is removed from the headstocks after the straightening rolls have been swung out. The straightening rolls or rollers are substantially disc-shaped and results in relatively point by point straightening of the workpiece which can have an undesired negative impact on the workpiece, if the workpiece exhibits one or more axial, optionally also eccentric boreholes. The object of the present invention is to improve this type of machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides for a shaft straightening and hardening machine of the type described above but with a novel workpiece holder arrangement, including straightening mechanisms, comprising several parallel straightening shafts between which the workpiece can be inserted and from which the workpiece can be removed. The workpiece holder arrangement may be mounted on the known shaft straightening and hardening machine. The end face of each straightening shaft is held in a bearing bracket and one of the straightening shafts can be swung radially sideways or outwardly. The straightening shafts include radially protruding profiling that form the straightening mechanisms or elements. The loading and unloading of the workpiece is significantly simplified by the invention and thus accelerated because a workpiece needs only to be expediently inserted between or removed from two fixed straightening shafts without having to adjust the bearing brackets. As a result, the bearing brackets can be mounted stationarily to the machine for circumferential movement therewith. In addition, the straightening mechanisms formed by suitable profiling of the straightening shafts may be machined outside the machine which provides great simplicity particularly if several points or areas of the workpiece are to be straightened along the workpiece. For a specific type of workpiece only one set of straightening shafts is necessary. They are clamped into the bearing brackets and remain there independently of the changing of the workpieces. For those workpieces provided with one or more axial boreholes, the invention is especially advantageous if the profiling exhibit a relatively large axial length.
REFERENCES:
patent: 720215 (1903-02-01), Barclay
patent: 1045161 (1912-11-01), Machlet
patent: 2748634 (1956-06-01), Koehring et al.
patent: 3785883 (1974-01-01), Seulen et al.
patent: 2 427 858 (1980-01-01), None
patent: 2 117 296 (1983-10-01), None
Wellenricht-und Härtemaschine Modell HR, Hahn & Kolb, Stuttgart, No. 2510/24. (English-language Translation attached).
Heess Karl
Schweikert Karlheinz
Jacobson & Holman PLLC
Karl Heess GmbH & Co. Maschinenbau
Larson Lowell A.
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