US2504171A - Billet nicking machine - Google Patents

Description

April 18, 1950 J. L. ANDERSON 2,504,171

' BILLET mcxmc MACHINE Filed April 22, 1944 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS April 18, 1950 J. L. ANDERSON BILLET NICKING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 22, 1944 fa-mvzmon A m ATTQ R N EY5 April 18, 1950 J. L. ANDERSON BILLET mcxme umcnms 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 22, 1944 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 18, 1950 BILLET NICKING MACHINE James L. Anderson, Closter, N. 1., assignor to Air Reduction Company, Incorporated, a corporation of New York Application April 22, 1944, Serial No. 532,273

Claims. 1

This invention relates to billet nicking apparatus adapted to nick or groove billets at a number of places along the length of the billet so that it may subsequently be broken by mechan ical means into short pieces suitable for use as stock blanks in forging articles of various kinds. More particularly, the invention relates to billet nicking machines of the type in which the nicking is done by means of a gas cutting torch which cuts the nicks successively along one side of a billet, or by two of such torches which simultaneously cut a pair of nicks successively along opposite sides of a single billet or the outer sides of two adiacent billets.

The principal object of the invention is to improve the construction and operation of a billet nicking machine of the type mentioned, particularly by providing improved means for moving the cutting torch or torches to the successive positions where the billet is to be nicked; by providing improved means for bringing the tip of each torch to its proper position with respect to the billet to start a nick regardless of any crookedness of the billet; and by providing certain other novel features as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a nicking machine embodying the improvements Fig. 2 is a plan view of the nicking head of the machine shown in Fig. 1, certain parts being broken away and certain parts being shown in horizontal section;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the nicking head taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of the nicking head taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of the nicking head taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of a portion of the machine taken on the line 6-3 of Fig. 3.

The machine shown in the drawings comprises a suitable framework I (Fig. 1) which supports a pair of horizontally spaced longitudinal mem-' bers 2 (see also Fig. 3). A number of billetsupporting rolls 3 span the longitudinal members 3 and are rotatably mounted on them. All of the rolls 3 are geared to a driving shaft 4 as. shown in Fig. 6 and this shaft is adapted to be driven from an electric motor 3 (Fig. 1) through a sprocket chain 3.

While the machine shown in the drawings is capable of nicking a single billet it was 8513B:

cially designed to simultaneously nick the outer sides only of two adjacent billets. The two bilare placed on the rolls 3 side by side. and the rolls are then driven by the motor I to feed the billets toward the rear of the machine until they abut against a stop I raised to its operative position by the piston of a fluid-pressure cylinder 3.

A nicking head designated in general by the reference numeral 8 in Fig. 1 has a frame 9 (Fig. 3) which is supported by rollers ii on horizontal flanges ii on 1 the two longitudinal members 3 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4). Theflanges ll constitute a track along which the nicking head may be moved longitudinally of the billets to bring it to the proper nicking position as hereinafter described. Side rollers I! (Fig. 3), carried by the nicking head frame 9, bear against the sides of a rail it on one of the longitudinal members I (the one at the near side of the machine as viewed in Fig. 1) to prevent lateral movement of the nicking head and to guide it in a straight line when it is moved longitudinally of the billets.

The horizontal flanges i l on the longitudinal members 2 also serve as a track for movably supporting a cut-oil device denoted in general by the reference numeral ll in Fig. 1., As shown in this figure, the cut-off device is provided with rollers I! which run on the horizontal flanges ii. After the billets are fed into 'the inachine against the stop I, the cut-off device is moved manually to a position in which the billets will be cutto the desired length when a gas cutting torch It is moved transversely acros the billets by a self-propelled torch carriage l1. Ordinarily the distance from the rear ends of the billets to the place at which the forward ends are trimmedv by the torch It will be a multiple of the distance.

between the nicks to be cut in the billet. If desired, of course, the trimming of the ends of the billets by the torch it may be effected after. the nicking of the billets is completed instead.

of before the nicking is started.

The above-mentioned rail l3 has a series of notches is in its upper face which are equally spaced by a distance equal to the distance be tween the nicks to be cut in the billets. The nicking head frame 9 pivotally supports a pawl i! (Figs. 3, 4 and 6) the tooth 23 of which is adapted to drop by gravity into one of the notches II, as best shown in Fig. 4. .A part of the nicking head frame carries a longitudinal guide 3| (Figs. 3, 4 and 6) on which there is mounted a slide 22. This slide is rigidly connected to the piston'rod-23.,(Fig. 4) of a piston 24 operating in a fluid-pressure cylinder 25. This cylinder is rigidly connected at its rear end, i. e.. its leftend lets to be nicked. designated 3 and B in Fig. 3, 66 as viewed in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, to the frame of the nicking head. The slide 22 pivotally carries a second pawl 26. When the nicking head is in one of its nlcking positions and the tooth of the first pawl I9 is in engagement with one of the notches 18 as shown in Fig. 4, the pawl 26 normally has the relation to pawl l3 shown in this figure. When motive fluid, such as compressed air, is admitted to the forward end of the cylinder the piston 24 is moved rearwardly to move the slide 22 rearwardly along the'guide 2|. When the pawl 26 reaches the pawl IS, a dog 21 on the pawl l9 rides up over a dog 28 on the pawl 26 thereby lifting the tooth on the pawl l9 out of its notch l8. The end of the pawl 26 drops into this notch whereupon rearward motion of the slide 22 is arrested. When this happens the continued pressure in cylinder 26 now moves the cylinder forwardly, i. e., toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 4, and moves with it the entire nicking head since the head is now free to be moved in this manner because of the lifting of the pawl l9 out of its notch. Forward movement of the nicking head continues until the pawl I9 is to the right of pawl 26, as viewed in Fig. 4, and until the tooth 20 on the pawl l9 drops into the next notch 19. When the compressed air is released from the cylinder 25 a spring (not shown) returns the piston 24, the slide 22, and its pawl 26, to the starting position shown in Fig. 4. During the return stroke of the pawl 26 its dog 28 rides up and over the dog 21 on the pawl l9. As will hereinafter appear the billets are nicked in successive positions of the nicking head in which the tooth on pawl l9 engages in one of the notches I8,

and after each nicking operation the nicking head is advanced in the manner just described to the next nicking position in which the tooth on the pawl l9 engages in the next preceding notch.

- To begin the nicking operation the nicking head is rolled manually to the rear end of the machine. To permit this, the pawls l9 and 26 are lifted manually so as not to engage the notches i8, and are held in their raised position until the nicking head has been moved to the rear end of the machine. The nlcking head is in the starting position at the rear end of the machine when the tooth 20 of pawl I3 is in the notch l8 nearest the stop I (Fig. 1).

At each side of the machine the nicking head has a gas cutting torch which is adapted to nick the outer side face of the adjacent billet when the torch is moved vertically as hereinafter described. The torch and its actuating means are mounted on a carriage which is capable of vertical movement within another carriage. which is movable horizontally toward and away from the adjacent billet by power means. These parts are duplicated at opposite sides of the machine and the description of the parts at one side of the machine will sufllce for those at the other side.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the above-mentioned horizontally movable carriage is shown at 29. It is provided with rollers 39 which run on transversely disposed horizontal track rails 3| on the nicking head frame. nicking head frame bear against the vertical side walls of the carriage 29 to prevent it from moving laterally when it is rolled on the trackrails 3| toward or away from the adjacent billet. The

carriage 29 is moved toward the adjacent billet by afiuid motor comprising a pressure cylinder 33 supported by the nicking head frame, as best shown in Fig. 3, and a piston operating in the cylinder. The piston rod 34 of the fluid motor Side rollers 32 on the is rigidly connected to a cross member 29' on the carriage 29. When motive fluid, such as compressed air, is admitted to the cylinder 33 the piston rod 34, acting on the cross member 29' of the carriage, moves the carriage towards the adjacent billet until the end of a stop 35 carried by the carriage engages the verticalside of the billet.

The cutting torch and the motor for actuating it are carried by a carriage 36 which is mounted to move vertically within the carriage 29. As best shown in Fig. 2 each of the two vertical side walls 36 of the carriage 36 carries at its outer side four guide rollers 31 arranged in two pairs with an upper and lower roller in each pair. The two vertically aligned rollers of each pair operate between a pair of vertical rails 38 projecting from the inner side of the vertical side walls of the horizontally movable carriage 29, as best shown in Fig. 2. The carriage 36 is further guided during its vertical movement by a number of rollers 39 supported by the vertical walls of the carriage 23 and which bear against the outer sides of the two vertical walls of the carriage 36.

The vertically movable carriage 36 at its end nearest the billet, has a vertical wall 40 from which a pair of vertical flanges 4i project toward the adjacent billet, as best shown in Fig. 2. These flanges carry guide rolls for the torch as will hereinafter appear. The torch itself is shown at 42. It is a gas cutting torch such as an oxyacetylene cuttlng torch. The casing of the torch is vertically disposed and lies between the two flanges 4| just referred to. At its lower end the torch has a tip 43 which is directed toward the vertical side of the adjacent billet supported on the rollers 3, as shown in Fig. 3. The vertical casing of the torch has diametrically opposite flanges 44 which are guided by rollers 45 mounted at the inr er sides of the flanges 4| on the vertically movable carriage 36. At the rear of the torch casing there is a rack 46 which meshes with a pinion 41 (Fig. 3) driven by an electric motor 48 through suitable reduction gearing. The motor 48 is supported on the floor of the vertically movable carriage 36. It has an adjustable centrifugal speed control governor 49 of a well known type. Gas, such as a mixture of oxygen. and acetylene, is fed to the torch through hose connections indicated at 50.

The operative stroke of the torch during which the billet is nicked is preferably its upward stroke, although both the upward and downward strokes of the torch may be utilized to nick the billet if so desired. For instance, one nick may be made by upward movement of the torch and the next of the billet B is simultaneously nicked as the tip or the left hand torch moves upwardly across it. After the billets have been nicked throughout their 'height the motors may be stopped in any suitable way. The torches are returned to their starting position by reversing the electric motors, and the reverse operation of the motors may be stopped in any suitable way when the torches reach the starting position.

I aaoarrr After the billets are nicked in the first position of the nicking head at the rear of the machine, the nicking head is advanced in the manner hereinbefore described by admitting compressed air to the cylinder 25 to bring the nicking head to the second nicking position in which the tooth 20 on the pawl it engages in the second notch it from the left, as viewed in Fig. 1. The nicking operation is then repeated in this position and so on until billets have been nicked throughout their entire length.

While the billets to be nicked are fairly uniform in height and width nevertheless they are frequently wavy or crooked. In other words, while the opposite faces of eachbillet may be substantially parallel they are not always perfectly flat. Therefore an adjustment of the machine which will bring one of the torch tips to the proper elevation with respect to the adjacent billet at the start and finish of a nicking operation for one position of the nicking head will not necessarily be correct for another of its positions because in such other position of the nicking head the portion of the billet to be nicked may be either depressed or elevated by reason of vertical undulations existing in the billet. To take care of this, there is secured to the vertical wall 40- of each vertically movable carriage 36 aninwardly pro- ,iecting cam best shown in Fig. 3. When one of the horizontally movable carriages 29 is moved inwardly to bring, its stop against the outer vertical face of the corresponding billet, an in- As above stated the machine was especially designed for nicking the outer faces of two adjacent billets, such as those shown at B and B, but if desired a single billet may be fed to the machine and nicked simultaneously on its opposite side faces by the two torches in each nicking position of the nicking head. Moreover, if desired, all of the nicking mechanism at one side of the machine may be omitted if the machine is to be used only on single billets and if nicking one side only of the billet will suffice.

While the nicking instrumentalities herein shown and described are gas cutting torches, so far as certain features of the invention are concerned high temperature cutting devices of any other suitable type may be used instead.

I claim:

1. In a billet nicking machine having a nicking head and a carriage mounted on the nicking head which is horizontally movable relative thereto transversely of the billet, the combination therewith of a second carriage mountedqfor vertical clined surface 52 at the lower edge of the correspending cam 5| rides up on the billet and lifts its vertically movable carriage 36 to bring the tip of the torch mounted on that carriage to the proper starting position at the lower face of the billet.

Thus for each nicking operation throughout the length of the billet the torch tip will always be brought to its proper starting position at the lower face of the billet whenthe horizontally movable carriage 29 moves the torch tip horizontally up to the vertical face of the billet, and the cutting stroke of the torch will always be arrested when the torch tip reaches the proper position slightly above the upper face of the billet, regardless of the fact that the billet may have vertical undulations in it. Moreover, regardless of any horizontal undulations in the billets, each carriage 29 will move the tip of the corresponding torch horizontally to its proper position with respect to the side face of the adjacent billet in each position of the nicking head, because the stop 3! acts as a gauge to space the tip of the torch the proper horizontal distance from the side face of the billet and the carriage 29 always moves inwardly until its stop strikes the billets side wall. Since the two vertically movable carriages 36 at opposite sides of the machine are independently movable by their respective cams BI, and since the horizontally movable carriages 29 at opposite sides of the machine are independently movable, the torch at each side of the machine will be automatically positioned as to its starting position in accordance with the particular undulations in the corresponding billet, which, of course, would probably not coincide with those in the adjacent billet.

As shown in Fig. 2 the cams 5| are offset with respect to each other lengthwise of the billets so that they may overlap and not strike if billets of smaller size areto be nicked.

After the billets B and B have been nicked throughout their entire length. the stop I is lowered by exhausting the motive fluid from the movement on the first carriage, agas cutting torch on the second carriage having a tip directed' toward a vertical side wall of the billet, a member secured to the second carriage adapted to engage the billet during horizontal movement of the first carriage toward the billet to thereby move the second carriage vertically and properly position the torch tip to start a nick, and means for moving the torch vertically and relative to the second carriage to traverse the torch tip over said vertical side wall of the billet.

2. In a billet nicking machine having a nicking head and a carriage mounted on the nicking head which is horizontally movable relative thereto transversely of the billet, the combination theretravers the torch tip over said vertical side wall of the billet.

3. In a billet nicking machine having a nicking head and a carriage mounted on the nicking head which is horizontally movable relative thereto transversely of the billet, the combination therewith of a second carriage mounted for vertical movement on the first carriage, a gas cutting torch on the second carriage having a tip directed toward a vertical side wall of the billet, a cam secured to the second carriage having an inclined surface adapted to engage the top of the billet during horizontal movement of the first carriage toward the billet to'thereby move the second carriage vertically and properly position the torch tip to start aznick, and an electric motor mounted on the second carriage and operatlvely connected to the torch to move it vertically relative to the second carriage to traverse the torch tip over said vertical side wall of the billet.

4. In a billet nicking machine having a nicking head and a carriage mounted on the nicking head which is horizontally movable relative thereto transversely of the billet, the combination therewith of a second carriage mounted for vertical movement on the first carriage, a gas cutting torch on the second carriage having a tip directed toward a vertical side wall of the billet, means for moving the torch vertically and relative to the second carriage to traverse the torch tip over said vertical side wall of the billet, a stop carried by the first carriage adapted to engage said vertical side wall of the billet to arrest horizontal movement of the first carriage toward the billet when the torch tip is properly spaced horizontally from said vertical sidewall of the billet, and a member secured to the second carriage adapted to engage the billet during the horizontal movement of the first carriage toward the billet to thereby move the second carriage vertically and bring the torch tip to the proper elevation with respect to the billet to start a nick.

5. In a billet nicking machine having a nicking head and a carriage mounted on the nicklng head which is horizontally movable relative thereto transversely of the billet, the combination therewith of a second carriage mounted for vertical movement on the first carriage, a gas cutting torch on the second carriage having a tip directed toward a vertical side wall of the billet, means for moving the torch vertically and relative to the second carriage to traverse the torch tip over said vertical side wall of the billet, a stop carried by the first carriage adapted to engage said vertical side wall of the billet to arrest horizontal movement of the first carriage toward the billet when the torch tip is properly spaced horizontally from said vertical side wall of the billet, and a cam secured to the second carriage having an inclined surface adapted to engage the top edge of the billet during horizontal movement of the first carriage toward the billet to thereby lift the second carriage and bring the torch tip to the proper elevation with respect to the billet to start a nick.

JAMES L. ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile of this :patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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