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US 11,130,167 B2Granted
Axial thread rolling
AssigneeTurning Concepts, LLC
InventorsWilliam M. Roden, Jr., Richard A. Hagenbuch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention is directed to an axial thread rolling process that utilizes a thread rolling head that includes a clutch, that prevents full disengagement of the clutch during thread rolling, and that reverses the direction of rotation used for thread rolling to escape a threaded workpiece from the thread rolling head.
Claims17
A thread rolling process that utilizes
- 1) an axial thread rolling head comprising
- a shank adapted to be mounted in a machine tool,
- a clutch with a fixed shank portion, and
- an axially movable adjustment housing unit comprising a movable portion of the clutch, and comprising a plurality of thread rollers, wherein in a locked axial relative position, the movable clutch portion is seated and engaged with the fixed clutch portion, and in a second axial relative position, the movable clutch portion is partially engaged with the fixed clutch portion, and
- 2) means for reversing the direction of rotation used for thread rolling, wherein said reversing means controls the direction of rotation of the thread rolling head, and
- wherein said thread rolling process comprises
- mounting the thread rolling head shank in said machine tool,
- said thread rolling head being rotatable and axially movable by, and under control of, said machine tool,
- rolling threads on a stationary workpiece at a controlled feed rate with the thread rolling head rotating in a first direction whereby said workpiece comprises threads rolled by, and in engagement with, said plurality of thread rollers, and whereby the movable clutch portion axially moves into the partially engaged, axial relative position,
- limiting axial movement of said adjustment housing unit in said first direction whereby said fixed clutch portion and said movable clutch portion are prevented from full disengagement,
- after completing the desired length of thread, rotating said thread rolling head in a direction opposite to said first direction to follow the threads created, whereby the threaded workpiece escapes from the thread rollers without full disengagement of the clutch, and whereby said movable clutch portion returns to the seated and engaged, axial relative position, and
- rolling threads on the next workpiece without the need to use auxiliary locking means to manipulate the adjustment housing unit, to re-lock the clutch.
9 more elements
A thread rolling process that utilizes
- 1) an axial thread rolling head comprising
- a shank adapted to be mounted in a machine tool,
- a clutch with a fixed shank portion, and
- an axially movable adjustment housing unit comprising a movable portion of the clutch, and comprising a plurality of thread rollers, wherein in a locked axial relative position, the movable clutch portion is seated and engaged with the fixed clutch portion, and in a second axial relative position, the movable clutch portion is partially engaged with the fixed clutch portion, and
- 2) means for reversing the direction of rotation used for thread rolling, wherein said reversing means controls the direction of rotation of a workpiece, and
- wherein said thread rolling process comprises
- mounting the thread rolling head shank in said machine tool,
- said thread rolling head being axially movable by, and under control of, said machine tool,
- rolling threads at a controlled feed rate on a workpiece rotating in a first direction whereby said workpiece comprises threads rolled by, and in engagement with, said plurality of thread rollers, and whereby the movable clutch portion axially moves into the partially engaged, axial relative position,
- limiting axial movement of said adjustment housing unit in said first direction whereby said fixed clutch portion and said movable clutch portion are prevented from full disengagement,
- after completing the desired length of thread, rotating said workpiece in a direction opposite to said first direction at a controlled rate to follow the threads created, whereby the threaded workpiece escapes from the thread rollers without full disengagement of the clutch, and whereby said movable clutch portion returns to the seated and engaged, axial relative position, and
- rolling threads on the next workpiece without the need to use auxiliary locking means to manipulate the adjustment housing unit, to re-lock the clutch.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.